DHL reduces Formula 1 cargo carbon emissions by 83% with renewable diesel

DHL and Formula 1® announced Sept. 19 that the new fleet of trucks running on biofuel reduced carbon emissions by an average of 83 percent compared to diesel-driven trucks.

These trucks made their debut at the European leg of the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship.

Across the nine European rounds, the new 18 trucks were powered by HVO100 drop-in fuel (hydrotreated vegetable oil) and traveled over 10,600 kilometers (6,587 miles), transporting an average of 300 tons of freight per race.

DHL first announced the use of renewable diesel in the trucks in June.

These trucks were vital in delivering the events in Europe, which concluded with the Formula 1 Pirelli Gran Premio D’Italia 2023 in Monza last month.

“The introduction of the 18 biofuel-powered trucks this season marks a significant stride towards a more sustainable future for both Formula 1 and DHL,” said Paul Fowler, Head of DHL Motorsports Logistics. “Achieving an 83 percent average reduction is a remarkable accomplishment, and we take great pride in it. As the official logistics partner for Formula 1 and a leader in green logistics, we are pleased to contribute to Formula 1’s sustainability goals.”

The Formula 1 and DHL partnership is using the latest technologies and new ways of working to ensure the delivery of events in a more sustainable manner.

The use of biofuel will continue into 2024 and beyond, with the data from this summer providing invaluable insight as Formula 1 and DHL explore further opportunities and sustainable innovations as Formula 1 moves towards being net zero by 2030.

“It is great to see how our logistics operations can transform to achieve our net-zero-by-2030 goal,” said Ellen Jones, head of ESG at Formula 1. “Reductions such as 83 percent with the use of the biofuel-powered trucks provides a fantastic platform to build upon, which we will analyze and then continue to deliver in our 2024 season, ensuring that these savings move from a single initiative to business-as-usual carbon reductions. Transport and logistics make up a significant portion of our carbon footprint in our sport, and it is crucial to have likeminded partners like DHL that are committed to working with us to drive these down and help us realize our net-zero target.”

The biofuel-driven trucks maintain the same level of performance in terms of load capacity and travel distance as their diesel counterparts, and all trucks in the DHL fleet are equipped with GPS to monitor fuel consumption and optimize more efficient routes.