The Dachser branch in Bad Salzuflen tested its Renault Trucks E-Tech D e-truck, typically used for local distribution around the site, on an extended journey.
Three days and over 2,000 kilometres
The battery-electric truck, with a range of approximately 300 kilometres, travelled from Germany to Hungary for a charitable purpose.
“Furniture was transported to Hungary by truck—2,100 kilometres round trip,” the company stated before the journey began.
Matthias Syrbe, a dispatcher at Dachser and one of the two drivers, explained in an interview how the preparations went:
“The biggest challenge was finding charging stations along the route with sufficient capacity that could accommodate lorries. We used various apps to carefully plan the route and charging options in advance. The charging stations needed to be directly along the motorway to avoid wasting time. Naturally, we also had to familiarise ourselves with the vehicle beforehand and thoroughly understand its range and charging times,” Syrbe reported.
Did the plan with the charging stations work?
“In practice, the information we had obtained in advance about the charging stations was incorrect, so the plan didn’t quite work out, and we had to adjust the route,” Syrbe explained. “We had to recharge a total of nine times during the journey, and the biggest challenge was accessing the charging stations. Many points described as suitable for lorries weren’t suitable at all. It was often very cramped, and we frequently had to use car parking spaces just to charge.”
How did the electric truck perform?
“The vehicle completed the outward journey without any issues. On the return trip, an error message appeared on the onboard computer, but it resolved itself. The truck performed flawlessly, always operating at full power,” Syrbe reported.
In total, the truck covered a distance of 2,200 kilometres and consumed 1,690 kWh of electricity. According to Dachser, this corresponds to a saving of around 1.1 tonnes of CO₂ compared to a modern diesel truck.