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UNITAX-Pharmalogistik GmbH is now deploying a 40-ton electric truck in local transport. This is one of two specially manufactured electric tractor units (E-Trailer), which will be used in the research project “eHaul” at the Technical University of Berlin starting in summer 2023. On the route from Berlin to Dresden, Unitax will test whether a battery swap is more efficient than charging a battery.
(Berlin/Winterthur) Power 500 kW, charging speed 150 kW, battery capacity 440 kWh – these are the key specifications of the two electric tractor units from Designwerk Technologies AG. Currently, Unitax is testing one of the two E-Trailer units in local transport, charging the battery overnight at the Unitax headquarters in Schönefeld. In the actual testing phase starting in summer 2023, Unitax will operate the electric truck on the route Dresden–Berlin-Schönefeld–Dresden. It will be determined whether a battery swap proves to be a viable alternative to cable charging. The special adaptations for a quick battery swap were carried out by the Technical University of Berlin in collaboration with Durot Electric GmbH and in close coordination with the vehicle manufacturer Designwerk. Unitax has rented the electric truck from Greiwing Truck & Trailer GmbH & Co. KG.
Swap Instead of Charge
The goal is to increase the range through battery swapping and reduce charging time; short ranges and long charging times are the current weaknesses of electric mobility in long-distance freight transport. For the approximately 350-kilometer route from Berlin to Dresden and back, one and a half battery charges are required. Once the actual testing phase begins, the battery will be automatically swapped about halfway between Berlin-Schönefeld and Dresden. The swapping station south of Berlin is being developed in cooperation between the Technical University of Berlin and IBAR Systemtechnik GmbH as a complete system consisting of a battery swapping robot, power electronics, and software.
As a test partner, Unitax can use the station for at least one year. In addition to the factors of range and charging time, the driving characteristics of the electric trucks, the comfort for drivers, and further practical experiences will determine whether the project is sustainable. The study is also of interest to Unitax because temperature-controlled pharmaceutical transports require a lot of energy for cooling or heating the cargo space. With an electric truck, CO2 emissions would be significantly reduced.
Funding and Partners
The initiator and pioneer of the project is Dr.-Ing. Jens-Olav Jerratsch. He is the team leader of the research area on driver behavior observation for energy optimization and accident prevention under Prof. Dr. Stefanie Marker at TU Berlin. Together with other research institutions and partner companies from the fields of logistics, systems engineering, software, automotive engineering, and energy, they secured the project “eHaul” with a volume of around 6.5 million euros. The project is funded by the own resources of the partner companies as well as by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). The two partners for the practical test are UNITAX-Pharmalogistik and Reinert Logistics.
Photo: © UNITAX/Designwerk
