DHL Presents EREV Trucks from Scania in Leipzig

DHL Group today presented the “Extended Range Electric Vehicle” (EREV), developed in collaboration with commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania, at the International Transport Forum of the OECD in Leipzig. The EREV is an electric truck equipped with a fuel-powered backup generator that generates electricity to recharge the batteries when they are running low.

(Bonn/Leipzig) This new truck concept is being intensively tested by DHL for parcel transport between Berlin and Hamburg. The results after the first 100 days are very positive: The EREV has covered approximately 22,000 kilometers and has been in electric mode for over 90 percent of the time. The range extender was activated for only about 8.1 percent of the kilometers driven. As a result, the EREV has saved more than 90 percent of CO₂e emissions compared to a conventional diesel truck during the test phase.

At the same time, it increases operational flexibility by providing an additional energy reserve when no charging station is available – unlike a fully electric truck. The generator itself cannot directly drive the vehicle’s drive axle. In this respect, the EREV differs from conventional hybrid vehicles. Rather, it is a novel concept with great potential to support the transition to electrified transport. The test between the DHL parcel centers in Berlin and Hamburg has shown that the EREV is a practical and, above all, sustainable means of transport for logistics.

Suitable Regulatory Framework Required

Tobias Meyer, CEO of DHL Group, stated: “We all – companies, politics, and society – want to reduce emissions through increased e-mobility in freight transport. At the same time, all experts know that the transition to fully electric trucks will take many years, mainly because the power grid and charging infrastructure are inadequate. But we should not be forced to wait. We need pragmatic solutions like the EREV and swift political decisions to enable such bridging technologies. We want to decarbonize the transport sector now. Regulation should support us in this, not hinder us.”

The new Federal Minister for Transport, Patrick Schnieder (left), also got an on-site impression together with Dr. Tobias Meyer, CEO of DHL Group.

The successful test of the EREV has shown that the environmental balance of this vehicle can be close to that of a fully electric truck. The calculation of road tolls and emissions values for EU fleet limits should reflect the actual or realistically expected emissions, which is currently not the case for the EREV. A vehicle should pay the CO₂ truck toll according to its effective greenhouse gas emissions. Policymakers should support this by introducing an additional emissions class that recognizes proportional CO₂ emissions reductions based on certified emissions within the framework of road toll legislation. DHL explicitly welcomes the coalition agreement of the new German government, which includes support for EREVs, as a step in the right direction and calls for timely implementation of corresponding regulations.

91.9 Percent of Time in Pure Electric Operation

Since February, the EREV has been used in the Post & Parcel Germany division for transport between the parcel centers in Ludwigsfelde near Berlin and Hamburg. During this time, the truck has covered around 22,000 kilometers and typically completed the approximately 250-kilometer route using renewable electric energy charged from the grid. On colder days or in the event of unforeseen charging problems (such as occupied or defective charging stations) that required additional range, the range extender was activated, providing backup flexibility. This is a significant advantage over fully electric trucks, especially as it facilitates reliable route planning – something that is indispensable in logistics.

In the first phase of the test, the EREV operated in pure electric mode for 91.9 percent of the time, with 8.1 percent of the energy provided by the built-in range extender. Compared to a conventional truck, the EREV has saved more than 90 percent of CO₂e emissions so far, resulting in approximately 16 tons less greenhouse gas emissions during the test phase compared to a comparable diesel truck. In the future, emissions could be further reduced by using fuels from renewable sources, such as biodiesel, for the small share of energy provided by the generator.

Photos: © DHL/Jens Schlueter