Designwerk Launches First Fully Electric Lowliner on the Road

Electric, clean, and lowered: The e-mobility specialist Designwerk is bringing the High Cab to the road for the first time with a fully electric Lowliner. The lowered tractor unit is built on a Volvo FH base chassis and combines the advantages of emission-free transport with a 15 percent larger transport volume.

(Winterthur) Depending on the application, logistics service providers can cover up to 280 kilometers on a single charge. Transport companies in distribution or automotive suppliers that require a large loading capacity can charge the E-Lowliner with 350 kilowatts in under 45 minutes. This makes the vehicle the most powerful solution among alternative drives and ensures maximum usability in distribution transport. “With the first fully electric truck in this vehicle class, we are contributing to sustainable logistics and enabling logistics service providers to operate in diesel ban zones,” says Managing Director Adrian Melliger. The first KEP service providers and customers from distribution, food, pharmaceutical, automotive, and waste logistics will be on the road with the High Cab Lowliner starting at the end of 2023.

Pioneering Role in E-Mobility

Maximum volume and minimal emissions – the Swiss electric mobility company Designwerk proves its pioneering role in e-mobility with the High Cab Lowliner 4x2T and further drives the transition to sustainable mobility in the commercial vehicle sector. The low fifth wheel height of a minimum of 937 millimeters provides a three-meter interior loading height for the new electric truck. Compared to conventional tractor units, logistics service providers achieve up to 15 percent higher volume capacity with the High Cab Lowliner or can transport 50 percent more load carriers. Due to the legally permissible overload for alternative drives, there is no loss of payload. In the well-to-wheel assessment, the electric Lowliner reduces CO2 emissions compared to a lowered truck with conventional drive in Germany by up to 57 percent and in Switzerland by up to 79 percent due to the higher production of electricity from renewable sources. “Logistics service providers and transport companies with volume-sensitive freight, as well as automotive suppliers, benefit from a quiet, low-emission, and more efficient logistics,” explains Melliger.

Charged with 350 kilowatts in less than 45 minutes

Since 2008, Designwerk has been developing and manufacturing electric trucks in small series, mobile fast chargers, battery-buffered fast charging stations in the megawatt range, and modular high-voltage battery systems. With the four different truck models High Cab, Mid Cab, Mid Cab X, and Low Cab, the Swiss e-mobility specialist always offers the right solution for transport and waste logistics as well as for municipalities and agricultural businesses. The battery capacity of 380 kilowatt-hours used in the new High Cab Lowliner is made possible through in-house and customized battery development and production. The charging concept – 350 kilowatts in less than 45 minutes – also aligns with the driving times mandated in the EU.

Delivery in the Fourth Quarter of 2023

The 40-ton truck has a power output of 500 kilowatts (680 hp) and is gear and clutch-free with its single-speed transmission. German companies have already applied for funding for 34 High Cab Lowliners, allowing them to transport more volume electrically, sustainably, and profitably in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Photos: © Designwerk