DPD Switzerland orders long-distance electric truck to cut CO2 emissions

DPD Switzerland will save 72 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year from December onwards when it takes delivery of an innovative long-distance truck.

The company, which already delivers every parcel on a carbon-neutral basis at no extra cost to customers, has ordered a Futuricum Logistics 18E electric truck from Swiss manufacturer Designwerk Products for delivery by mid-December 2020.

The all-electric truck features the largest battery available in Europe and boasts a driving range of up to 760 km per battery charge.

The Futuricum truck will be used for the journey between the DPD depot in Möhlin (20 km from Basel) and the sorting centre in Buchs (40 km from Zürich) and must travel at least 80,000 km per year.

Compared to an equivalent diesel-powered truck, the electric truck saves about 90 kilograms of CO2 for a hundred kilometres. This corresponds to approximately 72 tons of CO2 savings per year. In the depots operated by DPD, it will also be recharged exclusively with Swiss ecological electricity.

Tilmann Schultze, CEO of DPD Switzerland, commented: “I am pleased that DPD Switzerland is one of the first companies to use this innovative new Swiss electric truck. When the electric truck starts driving in December, it will be like an early Christmas present not only for us but also for the environment.”

The Futuricum Logistics 18E electric truck was designed by Designwerk Products AG, based on a Volvo vehicle. With a storage capacity of 680 Kilowatt hours (kWh), the battery is the largest truck battery in Europe and is the first to be used commercially in this form worldwide.

Adrian Melliger, Managing Director of Designwerk Products AG, added: “In terms of range, the vehicle is also very competitive on long-distance journeys compared to hydrogen vehicles.”

Due to its configuration, the electric truck can replace a truck with a combustion engine in its entirety and perform its operations without any problems throughout the DPD Switzerland network without the need for recharging.

Schultze added: “This is DPD’s first electric truck that will be used on real routes and not on test routes. Although the use of the new technology is a priority, the exemption from fuel costs and the exemption from the heavy vehicle fee still valid for the truck are fundamental for the implementation of this project from an economic point of view.”