MediaProgres.com - As the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship electrifies Shanghai for the 2025/2026 season, the world’s premier all-electric racing series is accelerating its most ambitious calendar yet. The season features a record 17 races across 11 global cities, including highly anticipated stops in Madrid and Miami.
While American fans look forward to the high-speed action in Florida, the real race is happening behind the scenes. Formula E recently became the first global sport to achieve B Corp Certification, a designation validating its stringent social and environmental standards.
"Achieving B Corp Certification is a defining milestone for Formula E," said Barry Mortimer, Paddock and Logistics Director at Formula E. "It reinforces our mission to drive sustainable innovation both on and off the track."
The Heavy Logistics of Electric Racing
Moving this zero-emission circus requires massive logistical muscle. DHL, the Official Founding and Logistics Partner since 2013, is tasked with transporting approximately 440 short tons (400 metric tons) of freight per race. This includes 21 electric race cars, charging infrastructure, and broadcast equipment across continents via air, ocean, rail, and road.
For the Shanghai E-Prix, DHL executed a tight, three-day multimodal journey from Sanya, utilizing ferry and road transport under strict time constraints.
The Billion-Dollar Battery Challenge
Beyond the racetrack, the partnership spotlights one of the fastest-growing sectors in American trade: battery logistics. As the U.S. automotive market shifts toward electrification, transporting heavy lithium-ion batteries has become a complex, highly regulated challenge.
Each Formula E race requires moving 31 high-performance batteries, each weighing around 880 lbs (400 kg). Classified as dangerous goods, these batteries far exceed consumer thresholds and must comply with strict IATA, ICAO, and Department of Transportation (DOT) standards.
"Every Formula E race looks seamless on track, but behind the scenes, it is a highly complex logistics operation," said Federico Cavani, Head of Motorsports Italy at DHL Global Forwarding.
"These are regulated dangerous goods requiring meticulous planning. Our partnership showcases how advanced battery logistics can be executed safely at scale."
China’s Dominance in the EV Ecosystem
The logistics bottleneck is heavily tied to China, the undisputed hub of the global battery ecosystem. In 2025, global EV battery deployment hit 1.2 terawatt-hours (TWh), with China commanding 60% of the market and manufacturing over 70% of the world's lithium-ion batteries.
For American companies sourcing materials, navigating this pipeline is critical. DHL Global Forwarding China manages this flow, exporting over 10,000 TEUs of batteries and related materials annually from China to major markets, including the United States.
"We partner with the world's leading manufacturers to provide end-to-end solutions," said Stephen Zhang, Vice President of Ocean Freight for Greater China at DHL Global Forwarding.
To support this energy transition, DHL Group—which recorded approximately $90 billion (€82.9 billion) in revenue in 2025—has launched DHL New Energy Logistics. Backed by more than 20 EV Centers of Excellence globally, the initiative aims to secure the transition toward a low-carbon future, one shipment at a time.
