NEWS A practical solution with immediate results

DHL Group and Scania have jointly developed an electric truck with a fuel-powered generator, making it possible to shift to battery-electric road transport before the entire charging infrastructure is in place.

DHL Group and heavy vehicle maker Scania have joined forces to develop an electric truck solution that we can deploy right now: The Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV), an electric truck with a fuel-powered range extender, is now in operation at Post & Parcel Germany for parcel transport between Berlin and Hamburg. Once it passes the performance test, we plan to add additional EREVs to our fleet.

The future of heavy transport is electric, and the shift is underway. But as we make that shift, there are many hurdles to overcome, such as the lack of charging points, the high costs of securing enough charging capacity at our facilities during seasonal peaks, and the strain on the grid or high spot prices for electricity, particularly on calm winter days.

This is where the EREV comes in. The fully electric truck comes with a fuel-powered generator in place of one battery pack, which isn’t needed on most of Post & Parcel Germany’s transport routes. One less battery pack reduces the vehicle’s range from battery power, but the generator provides additional fuel-powered miles when charging isn’t available.

The EREV can travel up to 650 kilometers (400 miles), and the generator can be refueled at any standard filling station. By comparison, Scania’s industry-leading fully battery-electric truck has a maximum range of 550 kilometers (340 miles). 

Scania and DHL developed the EREV with a clear goal: find an interim solution to enable more electric vehicles in heavy-duty transport operations in the short term because we can’t wait for electric transport infrastructure to reach the scale and operational flexibility we need.

The EREV is a practical solution that can immediately lower our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It allows us to drive 80-90% on renewable electricity, making our long-distance freight transport more sustainable right now.

The collaboration with Scania demonstrates the power of partners who focus on pragmatic solutions – and shows the leading role Europe’s innovators can play in the shift toward more sustainable business.

Fully electric heavy-duty trucks won’t be available at the necessary scale or with the required operational flexibility overnight. Rather than waiting for that day, DHL and Scania have developed a practical solution to make heavy transport more sustainable now.

It might not be perfect, but the EREV provides an immediate and effective way to cut GHG emissions in freight transport. And as Scania CEO Christian Levin says: “The future is electric, but perfect must not be the enemy of good as we are getting there.”