Renault has chosen Germany’s DHL Automotive to manage and distribute replacement batteries for its entire electric car range.
DHL has signed a three-year contract to implement a service to coincide with the launch of the first Renault electric cars, Fluence Z.E. and Kangoo Z.E. The three-year deal starts September 1.
The partnership does not include battery logistics for Renault’s alliance partner Nissan Motor Co.
DHL was chosen as Renault’s partner because it could offer a pioneering pan-European solution in the highly demanding field of specialized logistics for the manufacturing and the aftermarket needs of green cars, said Pascal Kemps, DHL’s global strategy director for automotive.
The logistics solution will include the storage of batteries in DHL’s facility in Bonneuil near Paris, the transport of batteries to “Expert Z.E” dealers and importers to countries in Europe and Asia including all major Automotive markets such as Germany, France, Spain and the UK, and the return of used batteries to Renault’s Flins repair center. DHL will control the whole logistics process including order, exception and data management via its specialized Automotive Control Tower in Veghel, Netherlands. Thanks to a specific Renault IT solution, DHL will ensure that each individual battery can be tracked throughout the supply chain.
To manage this sensitive and particular kind of logistics – these batteries weight between 112 kg and 335 kg and have non-standard dimensions – DHL staff including drivers has been specially trained on battery handling and trucks are adapted to the load (specific rails and equipment).
As another element of the cooperation, DHL will add eight more Renault Kangoo Z.E. electric vans to its road test in the Rhine-Ruhr area (Germany), trialing the operational suitability of electric cars for commercial fleet operations. The road test has started in April 2011.
