DHL, the Official Founding and Logistics Partner of Formula E, marks the 10th year of racing together, delivering the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship to London for the final leg of the 2023/24 season.
The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT UK) were invited to the event to learn more about the behind the scenes of DHL’s logistics operations during season 10 of the Formula E World Championship.
DHL has been integral to the world's first all-electric motorsport championship since its inception in 2013 and the inaugural race in Beijing in 2014, delivering 132 races across 33 cities in 24 countries to date.
Leveraging 40 years of global motorsport experience, DHL has played a crucial role in bringing the Championship to 400 million fans worldwide, allowing them to enjoy the excitement of Formula E while championing the message of sustainability.
The institute learned that for this motorsport series, DHL offers multimodal transport solutions, including both sea and road freight, to maximise efficiency.
One way this works is that each Formula E team is given a multimodal container making it easier to pack and transport equipment across all modes of travel.
Overall, DHL transported around 400 metric tons of crucial freight per race, including race cars, batteries, charging units, broadcast equipment, as well as marketing and hospitality materials.
The design of the containers are crucial to the efficiency of DHL’s logistics operations to get everything delivered on time and ready for the next race.
Additionally, for the past three seasons, Formula E has achieved a substantial reduction of greenhouse gas emissions using biofuels for road and sea freight.
This year for the first time, Formula E piloted DHL’s GoGreen Plus service, which leverages Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), for two critical legs of this year’s Championship.
Over 10,000 miles were flown using SAF, from Berlin to Shanghai and from Portland to the final race in London.
Arjan Sissing, Head of Global Brand Marketing at DHL Group, said: “Joining Formula E at the concept stage a year before the inaugural race, to now celebrating 10 seasons of Formula E racing together in London marks a significant milestone.
“The progress over the last decade has been incredible – from the growing fan base and car innovations to the sport's increasingly sustainable practices.
“We are proud to have been a founding partner and see the sport thrive, all while remaining true to our commitment to forging a sustainable future for the sport and in motorsports logistics.”
Julia Pallé, VP of Sustainability, Formula E, added: “Having personally worked with DHL over the last 11 years to deliver 10 seasons of racing, I’ve witnessed first-hand the extraordinary efforts and innovation to deliver our championship as sustainably as possible.
“Looking back on this important milestone, DHL has been at the forefront of developing new technologies, systems, and infrastructure to continually pioneer industry-leading solutions that not only benefit Formula E but their wider logistics chain.
“I can’t wait to continue working together and consistently be at the frontier of next-gen sustainable logistic solutions.”