Global logistics provider Dachser has put its 100th electric truck with a total weight of more than 3.5 metric tons into service. The 16-ton Volvo FL Electric with a refrigerated body will commence deliveries of fresh food to Hamburg and the surrounding area with immediate effect.

This model is from the latest generation of vehicles and is powered by a battery with a storage capacity of 375 kWh, which can reliably supply the refrigerating unit while still permitting a range of around 300 kilometers. “We can use this e-truck to drive an entire day’s food logistics distribution route in place of a diesel vehicle with a refrigerating unit,” says Christoph Kellermann, Operations Manager European Logistics at Dachser’s Hamburg logistics center. “The new truck shows that e-mobility is coming of age in logistics and that fully practical solutions are now also available for food logistics or long-distance groupage. At the same time, charging stations are offering increased performance, which reduces downtimes.”

Hamburg is one of three e-mobility sites that Dachser operates. They enable the logistics provider to test emission-free trucks for groupage logistics and to study the interplay between photovoltaic systems, battery storage, intelligent charging systems, and charging infrastructure. Including the new Volvo FL Electric, Hamburg now has four battery-electric distribution vehicles and three long-distance electric trucks in Dachser yellow and blue. The logistics provider serves a defined area of downtown Hamburg with exclusively zero-emission deliveries, albeit only of non-refrigerated goods.

100 battery-electric trucks in the network
The Volvo FH Electric for food logistics distribution is officially the 100th electric truck with a total weight of more than 3.5 metric tons to be deployed in Dachser’s European network. “As part of our long-term climate protection strategy, where the focus is on efficiency, innovation, and inclusive responsibility, it was important for us to gain practical experience with zero-emission vehicles at an early stage. That’s why having the 100th electric truck in the groupage network is a remarkable milestone,” says Alexander Tonn, COO Road Logistics at Dachser. “Nevertheless, there’s a long way to go to make e-mobility economically viable. Acquisition costs are still high and public charging infrastructure for trucks is scarce; these factors continue to hamper the rapid expansion of electromobility in logistics.”