Logistics Schmitt Takes Over Five eActros from Mercedes-Benz

The transport and contract logistics service provider Logistics Schmitt from Bietigheim in Baden is one of the electric pioneers in the industry. With electric trucks and its own depot charging infrastructure, Schmitt aims to further develop e-mobility in the heavy commercial vehicle sector in a future-oriented manner. To achieve this goal, Schmitt has been relying on battery-electric trucks from Mercedes-Benz Trucks for several years and is intensively testing prototypes and pre-series vehicles from the manufacturer.

(Leinfelden-Echterdingen/Bietigheim) Recently, Schmitt received the first five series vehicles out of a total of 23 Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth, thereby expanding its range of electrified routes from national short and regional transport to international long-distance transport.

Ronald Ott, Head of Truck Sales Mercedes-Benz and FUSO Germany: “Logistics Schmitt has been a key partner in the customer testing of our battery-electric trucks since 2019 – from the first prototype of the eActros 300 to our current electric flagship for long-distance transport. With extensive practical experience and great commitment, the company has closely accompanied the development of our electric trucks. We are even more pleased to now hand over the new eActros 600 to Logistics Schmitt – for battery-electric transport over long distances.”

Long-standing Successful Cooperation

As part of the multi-year customer testing, Schmitt tested a prototype of the eActros 300 in 2019 on a shuttle route between Schmitt’s warehouse in Ötigheim and the approximately seven kilometers distant Rastatt section of the Mercedes-Benz Gaggenau plant. Logistics Schmitt uses the eActros instead of a conventional diesel truck for transporting gearbox housings. The eActros managed a daily distance of about 168 kilometers in three-shift operation.

In 2021, these first prototypes of the so-called innovation fleet were exchanged for the first series-like eActros 300 to take on additional transport tasks in practical tests. Since 2023, Schmitt has been operating a total of six Mercedes-Benz eActros 300 tractor units for the factory logistics of Daimler Truck between various locations in multi-shift operation. In the future, these vehicles will be supplemented by the eActros 600.

The eActros 600, designed for long-distance transport, has also been in use at Logistics Schmitt as a pre-series vehicle since last year, for example, on the long-distance route from Germany to Hungary, now also cross-border for the first time.

Since May of this year, Schmitt has been using two eActros 600 prototypes for a daily round trip of about 1,000 kilometers between the Daimler Buses location in Mannheim and a supplier near Leipzig for six months, which are charged at the plant in Mannheim and at the Hermsdorfer Kreuz, where a charging park from Milence – the charging infrastructure joint venture of Daimler Truck, TRATON GROUP, and Volvo Group – is located.

As part of the Daimler Truck project “Electrify Inbound Logistics,” Schmitt is one of 14 partners that will conduct long-distance routes in Germany and Europe with the eActros 600 for the supply of parts and components to the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth am Rhein, which were recently launched with a star tour from Wörth.

Actively Shaping the Transformation of the Industry

Rainer Schmitt, Managing Director of the company, emphasizes: “We are pleased that the long-standing cooperation with Mercedes-Benz Trucks continues and that we can now integrate the first eActros 600 series vehicles into our fleet to actively shape the transformation of the industry. My thanks also go to our long-standing contractual partner Wackenhut, who supports us trustfully as a dealer.”
Photo: © Daimler Truck AG