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Since the end of August, the Austrian Post has been using two Mercedes-Benz eSprinters in Graz, which not only deliver packages, letters, advertising mail, and print media but also filter fine dust emissions from the air during delivery. This is made possible by the installation of optimized fine dust filters at the front of the vehicles, which, in combination with the suction fans already present in the vehicles, filter fine dust from the air. After a three-month test and 6,395 kilometers traveled, the results from Mercedes-Benz Vans, the filtration experts from MANN+HUMMEL, and the Austrian Post have now been presented.
(Graz) Already after a few weeks, it is evident that the use of filters in the two electric vehicles is a practical application case; the filters are undamaged and without deformation. Since August, a total of 6,400 milligrams of dust have been filtered from the air over approximately 60 operational days.
“With the ‘fine dust vacuum cleaner,’ we have set new standards for sustainable logistics on the last mile. Mercedes-Benz and the Austrian Post have impressively demonstrated in Graz what is already possible in e-mobility today when automotive manufacturers and green logistics work together. We will continue to support these developments and consider them in the future when procuring our electric fleet,” explains Peter Umundum, Managing Director for Parcel & Logistics, Austrian Post AG.
“Sustainability is firmly anchored in the strategy of Mercedes-Benz Vans. Our goal is not only to talk about sustainability but to make it tangible in our products. We have successfully implemented this with our technology carrier Mercedes-Benz SUSTAINEER and the integrated fine dust filter. We are very pleased that we can advance this sustainable innovation together with the Austrian Post and MANN+HUMMEL in our pilot project and gather important insights,” says Marcel Minter, Senior Manager Product & Business Strategy, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Mercedes-Benz AG.
“For over 80 years, we at MANN+HUMMEL have been separating the useful from the harmful. We are proud to support such an ambitious project with our filtration expertise and contribute to cleaner air in Graz,” says Markus Kolczyk, Vice President Global Engineering Original Equipment, MANN+HUMMEL GmbH.
(l. to r.): Marcel Minter, Senior Manager Product & Business Strategy, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Mercedes-Benz AG, Peter Umundum, Managing Director for Parcel & Logistics, Austrian Post AG, Markus Kolczyk, Vice President Global Engineering Original Equipment, MANN+HUMMEL GmbH (© Austrian Post AG)
Post Vehicles Contribute to Better Air
By using the filters in the two electric vehicles, fine dust is filtered close to the source, meaning where the fine dust emissions occur. Even during charging operations at the logistics center, the two vehicles can filter fine dust and absorb it from the surrounding air.
In this way, the vehicles make an active contribution to improving air quality. In everyday operations, it has been shown that the filters work without restrictions and effectively capture fine dust while driving. In addition to the durability of the filters, the pilot project also analyzes the effects on the vehicles. Pressure loss measurements have confirmed the durability of the filters and established a loading state of 15 percent. So far, there are no operational restrictions, and to gather further insights, the pilot project will continue until mid-2023.
Delivery Vehicles Turned into Mobile Fine Dust Filters
For more than a year, deliveries in Graz have been conducted 100 percent electrically, with over 300 electric vehicles in operation daily. For the pilot project, two eSprinters from the Post have been equipped with special filters to reduce fine dust emissions. The vehicles also feature a fine dust sensor that measures the fine dust concentration in the air and can accordingly control the filtration performance. This allows the vehicles to even be used as mobile measuring stations. The filter elements can be removed and replaced during the annual service.
The fine dust filters installed at the front of the test vehicles – left in brand new condition, right after 60 operational days (© Mercedes-Benz AG)
The two vehicles have been operating in downtown Graz since the end of August and complete their routes on a weekly rotation to determine representative values for fine dust concentration through the installed fine dust sensors. The test vehicles can be recognized by side stickers reading “We deliver filtered air.”
The project has been scientifically supported by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Technology (IUTA) in Duisburg, Germany. Regular on-site checks of the filters were conducted by Mercedes-Benz Vans and MANN+HUMMEL.
Photo: © Mercedes-Benz AG / Caption: On approximately 60 operational days, the Post’s electric vehicles have filtered fine dust from the air in Graz.
