Denkendorf, July 5, 2021 – With its focus on converting trucks larger than 7.5 tons, developer and manufacturer e-troFit GmbH is putting its first battery-powered electric truck for distribution transport of up to 26 tons on the road. In a cooperation with the Austrian Herbert Temmel GmbH Spedition und Logistik, the 10-year-old converted Mercedes Actros MP3 has been undergoing practical trials for a few weeks. An electrification kit developed in accordance with ISO 26262 is being used, which meets the highest standards for functional safety in the international automotive industry. e-troFit is planning entry onto the truck market with the production of further vehicles for as soon as the first quarter of 2022.
The pilot project provides valuable information regarding the use and reliability of the vehicle in long-term testing in real customer operations. The pre-series vehicle with road approval can thus be used to validate the design in customer use and gain valuable insights for further development into small series production.
Taking Responsibility for Climate Protection with an Open Approach to Technology
Temmel is considered one of the innovation drivers in the field of alternative drives. The modern fleet comprises around 140 vehicles, which cover an average of 60,000 kilometers per day – which also means that the company bears tremendous responsibility for the environment and climate protection. “Since the technically vulnerable components are removed during a conversion (engine, transmission, exhaust control), it was only logical for us to convert a used vehicle, both financially and for climate protection reasons,” explains Temmel Managing Director Mag. Martin Treffer. “Not producing one more truck chassis saves 37 tons of CO2 alone!”
Battery-powered Electric Drive the Better Choice in Truck Shuttle Operation
“With e-troFit, we have found a professional partner who was the only retrofitter to be considered for our project. Due to the established bus conversion, there was already experience with Mercedes Benz vehicles and together with selected partners such as ZF, we were able to come up with an interesting concept,” Treffer continues.
The two project partners combine perfectly to address the demand-oriented concept. Initial experience shows smooth operation of the vehicle. Drivers are also completely satisfied and surprised by the engine’s pulling power and almost complete silence.
“In our view, the battery-powered electric drive is ideally suited for certain areas of application and is the better choice in the medium term, especially in inner-city areas. The low maintenance and service costs are of course also a significant, positive factor. We are currently using the vehicle in shuttle operation on short-haul routes – the ideal area of application with our battery capacity of just 120 kWh net,” Günther Bulla, Head of Transport and authorized signatory at Temmel, adds to the positive comments on the project. As an alternative to this smallest available battery capacity, e-troFit’s electric drive system is scalable upwards to 240, 300 or even over 700 kWh net, depending on the deployment scenario.
“We are very pleased about the successful partnership with Temmel, which repeatedly demonstrates the high quality of our electric drive systems and our agility in vehicle development,” explains Robert Reisenauer, Head of Sales and Marketing at e-troFit GmbH. “The well-known OEMs are currently focusing on heavy trucks with 40 tons plus x in the electromobility sector. Medium-duty payloads of less than 26 tons, however, are used in distribution transport, and our modular powertrain makes it possible to offer highly energy-efficient and cost-effective solutions here,” says Reisenauer, describing the ideal application scenarios. In a shuttle operation with fixed waypoints, the required charging infrastructure can also be easily provided. “Densely populated areas benefit from noise reduction, and on the short distances in urban areas, our battery-powered electric drive system perfectly delivers its economic advantages over old-fashioned diesel vehicles with very high consumption and wear.”
Retrofitting as the Key to Rapid Entry into Electromobility
The market urgently needs cost-effective and sustainable solutions to meet the requirements of the Clean Vehicles Directive (CVD), which takes effect in August. And despite all the progress made with regard to the rapidly developing electromobility, profitability must be ensured at the end of the day. “Against the backdrop of CVD, transportation and logistics companies need to start planning early to transform their fleets toward electromobility and zero-emissions driving,” Reisenauer emphasizes. The shift toward electromobility will be favored by the new federal funding guidelines expected in Germany shortly and the associated equal treatment of the procurement of converted vehicles and new vehicles. “Especially in this difficult decision-making phase, it is immensely important to focus on the quality aspect of the solutions offered,” Reisenauer says. “For safe and reliable vehicle use, the catalog of criteria with minimum standards* initiated by the BMVI provides helpful support for decision-making. With our electrification solutions for commercial vehicles, fleet operators will gain an important tool for designing an emissions-free vehicle fleet and sustainable climate protection.”
About e-troFit
e-troFit – electrifying transportation! The privately financed German start-up with its headquarters in Denkendorf and offices in Garching near Munich employs around 75 people. e-troFit is also present at four additional sales and development locations in Austria, Italy, Spain and Bulgaria. e-troFit is the first digital OEM worldwide (without its own storage and manufacturing facilities) to offer innovative solutions for the electrification (retrofitting) of used and new commercial vehicles such as trucks deployed in distribution transport, buses in local public transport (LPT) as well as municipal vehicles. e-troFit is certified to ISO 9001 and as such is the only supplier of retrofit solutions to guarantee operational safety in accordance with international automotive industry standards such as functional safety ISO 26262. A network of international partners guarantees service and availability across Europe. With its holistic approach to telematics, charging infrastructure, fleet management and autonomous driving, the company designs quickly implementable and cost-efficient solution packages for sustainable mobility transformation and a “second life” for diesel commercial vehicles. They effectively support the implementation of the CO2 reduction targets in accordance with the European Green Deal Agreement and the Clean Vehicles Directive, which will come into force in 2021.
e-troFit was awarded the German Mobility Prize (2018) and the Austrian VCÖ Mobility Prize (2019), as well as being voted one of the top 50 start-ups in Europe in the field of mobility (2020, EUSP). Additional information: www.e-trofit.com/en/
Press contact:
360°communications GmbH
E-Mail: e-troFit@360communications.de
Tel: +49 89 5436994 00
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