Delivery and distribution operations at two German DHL Freight sites are now more sustainable thanks to eActros 300 fully electric tractor-trailers from Mercedes-Benz Trucks.
The trucks, which went into service at the beginning of April, are being used for roundtrips between the Hagen branch and the Mercedes-Benz plant in Kassel, a Daimler Truck location; and to make carbon-free deliveries to customers in the Koblenz area. With a maximum weight of 19 metric tons, these are DHL Freight’s first heavy battery electric tractor-trailers in Germany.
“While we always emphasize that decarbonizing transport requires the efforts of all players involved, it is something special when customers themselves supply the technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We are delighted about the partnership with Mercedes-Benz Trucks, which sees both partners taking another step toward attaining their sustainability targets,” said Dr Thomas Vogel, CEO DACH, UK & IE DHL Freight.
Designed for regional distribution
The vehicles are eActros 300 tractor-trailers that are each powered by two electric engines with a peak output of up to 400kW. The trucks have a range of approximately 220km and, depending on the charging infrastructure, the battery can be recharged from 20% to 80% in about 1 hour and 15 minutes at a charging capacity of up to 160kW.
“Our fully electric eActros 300 tractor-trailers are specially designed for regional distribution transport and are already capable of performing a wide range of conventional truck operations. We are pleased that the eActros 300 is now also helping to make local road freight transport carbon-free in our own site delivery operations,” explained Oliver Berger, network strategy and sustainability manager in inbound logistics at Mercedes-Benz Trucks.
Creating a sustainable fleet
DHL is testing and implementing various technological solutions as part of its drive toward more sustainable road freight transportation, and plans to increase the share of electric vehicles in the delivery fleet to 60% and that of sustainable fuels to more than 30%.
In addition to the fully electric tractor-trailers, DHL Freight recently began operating a hydrogen truck from the commercial vehicle maker Paul Nutzfahrzeuge. The aim is to not just identify the right engine mix, but also influentially drive the transition to more sustainability in industry.