Kuehne+Nagel, the global logistics company, announced the launch of the electric vehicle service for airport transfers in Mumbai, India. With this service, Kuehne+Nagel aims to switch to electric vehicles in a phased manner to reduce its carbon footprint and progress towards a sustainable future and Greener India.

The Indian-made electric vehicle “Mahindra Treo Zor” will shuttle air cargo between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and Kuehne+Nagel’s Mumbai Airport warehouse. The use of the EVs is expected to result in a reduction of 24.7 tonnes vehicular CO2 emissions each year, thus reducing the company’s overall carbon footprint.

Marcel Fujike, SVP, Global Head Products & Services Air Logistics at Kuehne+Nagel, says: “As an environmentally and socially responsible organisation, Kuehne+Nagel is proud to use EVs in India for its airport transfers to offer green logistics solutions and reduce carbon emissions. Our customers have benefited from the global availability of SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) since last year, and we continue to develop sustainable solutions for a fully carbon neutral transport journey. The introduction of EV airport transfer is the next phase in our transition to low-carbon, door-to-door air transportation, with more sustainable services to follow.”

“Today the transportation of goods is a major contributor to carbon emissions. Fully electric vehicles have zero tailpipe emissions, but even when electricity production is taken into account, petrol or diesel vehicles emit almost three times more carbon dioxide than the average EV. Using EVs will not only reduce carbon footprint but will also offer substantial operating cost savings over comparable, conventional, gasoline-fueled vehicles, allowing us to contribute significantly to the sustainability cause”, adds Coen Van Der Maarel, Managing Director – India, Sri Lanka and Maldives, Kuehne+Nagel.

Kuehne+Nagel’s initiative of introducing electric vehicles in India is aligned with the company’s global sustainability goals. The company is taking several initiatives globally to create a sustainable future and reduce its environmental footprint.

Descartes Systems Group, the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, released its June report on the ongoing global shipping crisis and analysis for logistics and supply chain professionals. The report shows that May container shipments into the U.S. hit a new all-time high making the task of managing supply chain risk more complicated to navigate.

Fueled by continued strong consumer spending, May container import volumes surpassed 2.62M twenty-foot equivalent units, which not only continues the record monthly trend for the year but also eclipses the 2.6M TEU level for the first time. Container imports for the month crept up 7% over April and, in contrast to previous years, were up 3% over May 2021 and 26% over pre-pandemic May 2019.

“May saw imports from China up 5.4% compared to April, as COVID lockdowns began to ease in major manufacturing hubs, especially Shanghai. Compared to May 2021, however, overall imports from China were down 2.1%, highlighting the potential volume still to come in the months ahead,” said Chris Jones, EVP Industry & Services at Descartes. “Even as wait times at top U.S. ports continued to decline in May, the new overall high for import volumes, increasing production levels in China and the approach of peak season indicate there’s the potential for high activity in ocean trade in the second half of the year.”

The June report is Descartes’ 11th installment since beginning its analysis in August 2021.

The global full-service provider Hellmann Worldwide Logistics is taking over the Czech and Slovakian-based overnight express provider “OptimNet Solutions s.r.o.”. Hellmann is thus continuing its successful expansion strategy in the overnight express services segment and tapping into another important part of the Central and Eastern European market.

The shareholder Ondřej Zíta remains Managing Director and will seamlessly carry on the operational business together with Wilfried Hesselmann, Head of CEP Europe, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics to continue business relationships with all customers as usual.

OptimNet, the overnight express specialist founded in 2016 in Prague, has developed very successfully in recent years, both in the Czech Republic and, since 2018, in Slovakia. Hellmann has already tapped into the Hungarian and Romanian markets with the acquisition of Innight last year. With the latest takeover of OptimNet, Hellmann will further expand its overnight express services, particularly for the agricultural and automotive sectors, and will thus meet the steadily growing demand for a smooth and fast supply of spare parts in this strategically important core customer segment.

“With the expansion of our overnight express service in Eastern Europe, we are taking another consistent step in our growth strategy, which we initiated at the beginning of last year and have successfully developed in the meantime,” says Jörg Herwig, Chief Operating Officer Road & Rail Hellmann Worldwide Logistics.

“I am pleased that we are taking on all 37 OptimNet employees. On the one hand, this will secure jobs, and, on the other hand, we will be able to smoothly build on the business relationships that have already been successfully established in the Czech Republic and Slovakia in recent years, to continue growing here and beyond Eastern Europe,” adds Wilfried Hesselmann, Head of CEP Europe, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics.

“As a new member of the Hellmann F.A.M.I.L.Y, I look forward to working with our new colleagues to further develop the Eastern European market and drive expansion into new industries,“ says Ondřej Zíta, Managing Director CEP CZ/SVK, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics.