TRANSPORTATION
IN 2013 , DHL made the commitment to move to all-electric powertrains but found that there just wasn ’ t a truck out there that could do the job . The logistics giant decided to make its own with the help of StreetScooter , a Germany university startup .
Since DHL started working on its own eTruck , other manufacturers have joined the push to bring electric vehicles to the logistics market . Tesla , Volvo , Mercedes and many other manufacturers have since unveiled eTrucks of varying sizes .
Recent research from McKinsey ’ s Energy Insights report suggests that eTrucks could account for 15 % of global truck sales by 2030 , but it ’ s urban light-duty trucks that will be the most popular , reaching sales as high as 25-35 % in China and Europe .
The light-duty trucks will have a loaded weight of 7.5 tonnes and a range of around 100km , and while this payload and range might not be suitable for long-haul logistics , it ’ s perfect for deliveries within a city .
FUSO Trucks , part of the Daimler family , has already launched the eCanter light-duty truck , which sits nicely alongside the Eco Hybrid version – which has already seen customers saving up to 23 % on fuel . At the launch of this new eTruck , Mike Belk , Managing Director of Mercedes- Benz & FUSO Trucks UK said : “ Fully electric trucks are no longer science fiction – we at Daimler are already manufacturing them and now we ’ re putting them into operation with wellknown customers . We ’ re pleased to build on our relationships with DPD ,
FUSO eCanter
‘ Recent research from McKinsey ’ s Energy Insights report suggests that eTrucks could account for 15 % of global truck sales by 2030 ’
60 June 2018