DHL Freight has made valuable experience on its way to zero-emission transport logistics. Between the DHL Freight Terminal in Hagen and the Mercedes-Benz plant in Kassel, the battery-powered Mercedes-Benz eActros 300 tractor unit was put through a practical test lasting several days. The cooperation with Daimler Truck is in line with the DHL Freight Green Technology Roadmap, which specifies a clear strategy for environmentally friendly road freight.
Two Partners – One Common Goal
Across the entire company, Deutsche Post DHL Group – including DHL Freight – is pursuing the ambitious goal of reducing emissions from its logistics operations to zero by 2050. To achieve these sustainability goals, DHL Freight has designed its own Green Technology Roadmap. The strategy focuses on solutions and technologies that bring the zero-emission target closer step by step – with electromobility playing a crucial role.
The truck plant in Kassel, in turn, is the center of competence for electric drive systems at Daimler Truck. So, it is only logical that Daimler Truck AG intends to have all deliveries to the Kassel site without direct emissions. The test operation of the eActros 300 provides both DHL Freight and Daimler Truck with valuable insights for the implementation of their respective sustainability strategies.
We are very pleased that DHL, as a major logistics partner, was immediately on board for the tests.
Prof. Dr. Frank H. Lehmann
Plant Manager Mercedes-Benz plant Kassel
Carbon-neutral Non-stop Transport of 12 Tons of Material over 175 Kilometers
DHL Freight is responsible for the logistical supply of the Mercedes-Benz truck plants – including the plant in Kassel – with production material from suppliers in North Rhine-Westphalia and the Benelux countries. The DHL Freight terminal in Hagen, south of Dortmund, and the Kassel Daimler truck production plant are about 175 kilometers apart. On this route, the battery-powered eActros 300 was trialed in road operation for several days.
We were one of the first logistics companies to test the eActros in practice – even before the start of series production. We also drove the eActros in combination with an e-trailer (Trailer Dynamics). All in all, I have to say that both the pure e-truck and the combination with the e-trailer reveal interesting possibilities for utilizing e-mobility efficiently and sustainably in heavy trucks in the future.
Stefan Brunner
VP Auto-Mobility, Global Sector Head DHL Freight
The tractor unit carried an average of 12 tons of production material without making a charging stop along the way. The battery capacity of the eActros 300 enables a range of up to 220 kilometers, which is why the batteries only had to be recharged at the respective end points. There and back, the e-truck drove 350 kilometers per day.
As one of the world’s leading logistics companies, the switch to carbon-neutral vehicles is a key element of our sustainability strategy toward zero-emission logistics. With the eActros 300 tractor unit, we have now been able to successfully test the possible application in practice.
Uwe Brinks
CEO DHL Freight
Series production of the eActros 300 is scheduled to launch in fall 2023. DHL Freight aims to deploy at least 1,000 electric and HVO/LNG/CNG vehicles in Europe by 2025 and to increase their share of the total fleet to over 30% by 2030. Ongoing field trials have yielded precious information in this respect.
