Dachser placed at number 50 in Logistics Manager’s Top 50 Logistics Service Providers for 2021 and has today announced that it is to step-up its use of zero-emission vehicles.
In an initial step, the family-owned company will introduce at least 50 additional battery electric trucks on European routes by the end of 2023. The company is also planning to add around 1,000 electric passenger cars to its fleet of company and service vehicles. In parallel, it will press ahead with a range of pilot projects to develop and test hydrogen-powered trucks equipped with fuel cell technology. The Germany-headquartered company plans to have hydrogen-powered vehicles from a range of manufacturers operating within its network by no later than the beginning of 2023.
“The only way for the transportation sector to meet the global community’s long-term goal of net-zero emissions is by using zero-emission vehicles,” suggested Stefan Hohm, Chief Development Officer at Dachser. “That’s why such vehicles form a key plank of our own climate protection strategy. We’re going to significantly expand our use of environmentally friendly vehicles in the coming years, which will give us valuable practical experience and also help us increase the number of units.”
At present, Dachser primarily uses battery-powered vehicles for urban deliveries within its group network. In Europe, the company has electrically assisted cargo bikes in daily operations and, above all, electric vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of up to 7.5 metric tonnes. There are still very few all-electric production vehicles available in heavier weight classes. At present, the only vehicle of this type Dachser has in service is a preproduction model of the 19-metric-tonne Mercedes-Benz eActros in Stuttgart, the capital of Baden-Württemberg, as part of an innovation partnership with Daimler.
In the next two years, Dachser will introduce at least 50 additional zero-emission trucks, including heavy battery-electric motor vehicles and truck tractors from a range of manufacturers, either through direct purchase or in cooperation with transport partners.
“We’re actively promoting the use of zero-emission vehicles in our European network with a view to incorporating them as effectively as possible in our transportation processes. These are investments in the future, which will pay off in the long-term,” explained Alexander Tonn, Chief Operations Officer Road Logistics at Dachser. “We’ll be expanding our use of zero-emission trucks to the areas of regional and, in particular, shuttle transports this year. We also intend to use battery-powered vehicles to move around swap bodies and semi-trailers at our branches.”
To accompany these measures, Dachser will ensure adequate availability of charge spots at its branches. In addition, there are plans to create over 40 fast-charging stations for trucks, each with a charging power of 180kW. All of these charge spots are to be supplied with green electricity, which will be either bought in or produced by the company’s own photovoltaic systems.
