DHL and Formula E: Celebrating 10+ years of sustainability, innovation, and electric racing excitement

2024 marks our 11^th year as the Official Founding and Logistics Partner of Formula E. Since we joined Formula E a year before the inaugural race in Beijing in 2014, we have supported 132 races across 33 cities in 24 countries, drawing on 40 years of experience in motorsports logistics.

As the world’s leading logistics company, we have continuously strived to lead by example in sustainability, from introducing the industry’s first green product to being the first logistics company to commit to net-zero emissions.

From the first race in Beijing in 2014 to the 2024 season finale in London, we have delivered innovative logistics solutions to help Formula E achieve its sustainability goals. We utilize our multimodal solutions, including ocean and road freight, to maximize efficiency. Over the past three seasons, we helped Formula E integrate biofuels into road and ocean freight transport, significantly cutting greenhouse gas emissions. This year, Formula E piloted our GoGreen Plus service, which leverages sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), for two critical legs of the Championships. 

Inspired by the many couples who renew their vows throughout a marriage, we felt that a decade of racing and eleven years of shared innovation, passion, and progress was the ideal time to reaffirm our commitment to Formula E. In London, DHL and Formula E team members came together to celebrate “A Decade of Love!”

No vow renewal would be complete without a special gift. Formula E presented us with a Gen 1 car featuring a customer DHL livery to make this moment even more memorable. It perfectly symbolizes our mutual pride in our strong partnership and dedication to sustainability – and we will proudly display it at our DHL Innovation Center near DHL Group headquarters in Bonn, Germany.

To celebrate this milestone moment with Formula E fans, we treated fans to a range of exciting activities at this year’s season finale, the 2024 Hankook London E-Prix. We handed out delicious DHL cupcakes – a sweet nod to a wedding cake – and so much more. And we’re still offering a chance to win a trip to the 2025 London E-Prix and exclusive merchandise bundles!

Formula E’s freight is particularly challenging – especially the cars’ lithium-ion batteries, which are classified as dangerous goods and must be handled very carefully. Our dedicated DHL Global Forwarding Motorsports team works behind the scenes to ensure the logistics run smoothly from race to race, working closely with colleagues from DHL Express for air transport. Preparations for each race start about three months before the event, but planning each season’s schedule takes over a year of preparation!

While the celebration has ended, our partnership remains strong.  We look forward to continuing our collaboration and pioneering the next wave of sustainable logistic solutions together.