DHL Group and European truck manufacturer Scania recently announced the development of an electric truck that uses a fuel-powered generator to allow for battery-electric driving without the need to find a charging station.
The Scania Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV), which will enable DHL to drive 80-90% of the time with renewable electricity, will be deployed by the Post & Parcel Germany division this month between Berlin and Hamburg to test its performance in day-to-day operations. It is powered by a 230kW electric engine and energy is delivered by a 416 kWh battery and a 120 kW gasoline powered generator, which replaces one of the battery packs. While this reduces the range coming from the batteries, back-up energy is provided by the generator. According to the OEM, the truck has a range of approximately 400-500 miles.
“It is going to take some time before renewable electricity, the grid and charging infrastructure are available and robust enough to rely fully on battery-electric trucks,” said DHL Group CEO Tobias Meyer. “Instead of waiting for this day to come, DHL and Scania are collaborating on a pragmatic solution for making logistics more sustainable and reduce CO2 emissions by more than 80%. This vehicle is a sensible, practical solution that can make an immediate contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in freight transport short-term.”
The truck was developed through Scania’s Pilot Partner program, which was created to “accelerate sustainable transport by testing and learning the early market together with partners.”
“The future is electric, but perfect must not be the enemy of good as we are getting there,” said Christian Levin, CEO, Scania. “The vehicle we have developed together with DHL is an example of interim solutions that can enhance the scaling of decarbonized heavy transport before the transport system eventually becomes 100 percent electrified. An effective climate transition requires that policymakers accept such solutions, while ramping up their investments in public infrastructure and other enabling conditions.”
