DPD has purchased a Volvo electric truck with unprecedented range to use in its operations in Switzerland.
The France-based parcel carrier has bought a Futuricum truck, based on a model by Volvo and developed by Designwerk, which offers battery capacity of 680kwH and a range of up to 760km (472 miles).
Supplied via green-generated energy in DPD’s depot, the vehicle saves around 96 kilograms of CO2 per 100km, corresponding to 76.8 tons per year.
It will use the vehicle on a delivery route between its depot in Möhlin AG and the Buchs ZH, both in Northern Switzerland.
Work has begun on the vehicle, with delivery anticipated for mid-December 2020.
Tilmann Schultze, CEO of DPD Switzerland, said: “It is the first e-truck from DPD that is used in real use and not on test tracks. Even if the focus is on the use of the new technology – the loss of diesel costs and the still valid exemption from the truck the heavy vehicle charge are elementary to implement this project from an economic perspective. ”
Adrian Melliger, MD of Designwerk Products AG, said “the vehicle is very competitive in terms of range compared to hydrogen vehicles over longer distances.”
While DPD makes wide use of electric vans for shorter last-mile trips, using battery-powered vehicles for long distances and large payloads has generally been difficult because the size of the battery required takes up significant space and weight within the vehicle.
