DB Schenker tests electric Gigaliner from Scania in Sweden

The future belongs to climate-friendly powered trucks. Therefore, DB Schenker is advancing the use of fully electric trucks and is the first company in Sweden to test the E-Truck R450e from Scania in regular long-distance transport. The approximately 300-kilometer journey from Jönköping to Södertälje takes about three hours.

Anna Hagberg, head of the Network & Line Transport division at DB Schenker: “DB Schenker is testing the new E-Truck in daily traffic. This is an important step to enable the electrification of the entire transport chain. For DB Schenker, it is about testing fully electric heavy trucks on long distances and gaining experience. Electrification plays a crucial role in moving away from fossil fuels. Since heavy and long-distance transport causes the largest emissions, electrification is incredibly important.”

Smaller electric trucks are already frequently used for short distances, for example in distribution traffic in cities. The use of emission-free commercial vehicles with heavy loads is still a challenge. Long distances with heavy loads place high demands on the trucks and the charging infrastructure.

The E-Charge project brings together 14 partners who are developing and testing battery-electric long-distance transport together. The tests are conducted in real truck operations in Sweden and are adapted to the driving and rest times of the drivers. After three years of preparation and research work as part of the E-Charge project, DB Schenker is now starting to test the E-Truck in daily long-distance traffic.

As part of the E-Charge project, the fully electric truck will replace a diesel-powered truck. The truck will transport goods between the terminals in Jönköping and Södertälje during the evening and night hours and distribute them to customers during the day.

The seven batteries of the R 450e from Scania have a capacity of 728 kilowatt-hours. The number of batteries has been increased to cover approximately 300 kilometers without recharging under Nordic weather conditions with a permissible gross weight of 64 tons and a length of 24 meters. The R 450e truck is the first battery-electric long-distance truck from Scania with this range. The truck is charged at the DB Schenker terminals using ABB E-mobile high-performance chargers.

The E-Charge Project

The E-Charge project brings together 14 partners from the fields of vehicle manufacturing, science, logistics, electricity, and fuel, who are jointly developing and testing battery-electric long-distance transport. Cross-sector collaboration and development are of particular importance in E-Charge. The goal is to research in practically all areas related to the challenges of the project: from the energy consumption of vehicles to the sizing of chargers and charging stations, the impacts on the power supply network, and the effects on transport and logistics.