An electric 26-ton truck is being tested in Frankfurt
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fromThomas J Schmidt
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Raab-Karcher has been testing a prototype manufactured by MAN for two months. The silent truck delivers to customers in the Rhine-Main area.
Frankfurt – Electro-mobility is coming – now also in heavy goods traffic. A silent truck has been rolling in Frankfurt for two months: a MAN eTGM, 26 tons, which can load a maximum of nine tons of material. “If we don’t make progress first, who will?” asks Matthias Habedank. He is the Commercial Manager and Head of Communications at Stark Germany, based in Offenbach. The company is Germany’s leading builders’ merchant with 260 branches. The MAN is stationed in one of the branches: At Raab Karcher in Mayfarthstraße in Frankfurt.
“The most important thing is that the driver comes back safely”
“It’s a pilot project. MAN is providing the prototype, the state of Hesse and the Fulda University of Applied Sciences are contributing to the financing, and we are now testing the technology for two years,” says Simon Heppt, project manager for sustainability. The goal cannot be to bring the electric drive to long-distance transport. Raab Karcher delivers building materials to customers in the Rhine-Main area by truck. The range of the battery is 150 to 200 kilometers, depending on the outside temperature, among other things. “You have the greatest range from an outside temperature of around 20 degrees,” says Manuel Leuchte, Project Manager Logistics. “Now we have to approach the limits. The most important thing is that the driver comes back safe and doesn’t get stuck on the way.” The driver reacted positively to the new vehicle, assures Heppt. The changeover was associated with a bit of getting used to, mainly because the electric truck is quickly on the road without making a sound. Luminaires can probably be critical if the customer lives in Usingen and the journey is uphill. This draws a lot of current from the battery.
The Frankfurt branch was the most suitable
Matthias Habedank says it’s exciting for MAN to see how the vehicle proves itself in everyday use. “There were several branches that we used in the prescribed manner, but Frankfurt with the Rhine-Main catchment area was the most suitable. It is also important for us to be able to travel in urban areas without diesel if possible.”
After only two months, it is still too early for an assessment. “We learn something new every day,” says Manuel Leuchte. Seipp cannot yet make any statements about the operating costs – i.e. charging current costs compared to diesel.
The truck also comes with an electric forklift. Loading points Set up at Raab Karcher in Frankfurt and at the Darmstadt branch. Fast charging should also be possible there, with charging times of just one hour. The e-truck is currently connected to the grid for seven hours before the battery is fully charged again. The operation of the loading points is scientifically supported by the Fulda University of Applied Sciences.
DHL has been using electric small trucks in Frankfurt for some time
The electric operation of delivery vehicles is not entirely new. Many thousands of small trucks roll through the cities electrically, often from delivery companies such as the Post subsidiary DHL. The Post was even involved in the development. “We have had many good experiences and continue to operate the electric vehicles even after we have left the development company,” says Post spokesman Stefan Hess.
Thorsten Hölser, Managing Director of the Forwarding and Logistics Association Hesse/Rhineland-Palatinate, probably sees opportunities: “Not in long-distance transport. The range is too small for that. But in regional delivery traffic,” says Hölser. The Fraunhofer Society tested a model at the discounter Rewe. “Rewe could do 80 percent of its tours electrically,” says Hölser, summing up the results of the study.
However, since distances of up to 1000 kilometers are covered daily in long-distance traffic – Hamburg-Munich in about one day – there are no alternatives to diesel engines for the time being. “Unless you electrify the autobahns like on the A5 between Mörfelden and Weiterstadt,” says Hölser. The fuel drive with hydrogen is still two steps behind the battery drive in development.
Hölser also probably gives the battery a chance. “They can also move 12- or 18-ton trucks in distribution transport. I think that in five years’ time, 30 percent of the mileage could probably be switched to electric drive.” Raab Karcher in Frankfurt is now also a pioneer in this changeover.