NEWS DHL Supply Chain and Diageo North America power up partnership with hydrogen trucks

The two partners are teaming up to add hydrogen-powered trucks to their US fleet – part of a joint effort to develop innovative solutions aimed at decarbonizing logistics operations

DHL Supply Chain and Diageo North America are integrating two hydrogen fuel cell trucks into their US fleet. Following a pilot phase, the Class 8 trucks, manufactured by Nikola^[1], will be the first of their kind to operate day-to-day in the state of Illinois. We expect the fuel cell electric vehicles to reduce carbon emissions by about 80% over the course of a year compared to the diesel trucks currently in operation.

While DHL Supply Chain is the leader in contract logistics across the Americas, Diageo North America is the leading premium drinks business with operations across the United States, Canada, and the US Virgin Islands.

Nikola’s hydrogen trucks utilize fuel cell technology to convert hydrogen into electricity, powering the vehicle’s electric motors for up to 800 kilometers (500 miles) on a single fill. With no tailpipe emissions, the switch from diesel to fuel cell electric vehicles will contribute to cleaner air and significantly reduce local emissions, including particulate matter and nitrogen oxide emissions. We estimate the two trucks will lower emissions by about 100 tons per year, which is the equivalent of taking 20 passenger cars off the road, which average about five tons per year. 

The trucks also offer significantly better driver comfort and safety by reducing noise and vibrations, which reduces driver fatigue, and enhancing visibility with advanced camera support.

DHL Supply Chain has been Diageo North America’s trusted 3PL partner for over 20 years – a longstanding partnership that has increasingly focused on sustainability. In 2015, they deployed the first-ever Class 8 Orange electric vehicle yard truck in the United States. Since then, the partners’ EV fleet has grown significantly, with over 10 EV yard trucks in operation at Diageo’s campus in Plainfield, Illinois, and nearly 100 across DHL Supply Chain facilities in North America.

DHL Supply Chain, Diageo North America, and Nikola collaborated for more than 18 months to ensure the success of the groundbreaking initiative to introduce hydrogen trucks. This new hydrogen-powered initiative further strengthens each company’s commitment to reducing emissions and improving operational efficiency. 

^[1] The Nikola hydrogen trucks were acquired through ALTA eMobility, a Nikola dealer-partner, who will also provide maintenance and repair services. The trucks will be fueled with a HYLA modular refueler at the Diageo campus in Plainfield, Illinois.