Being at the forefront of ecological and clean transportation, that’s what many car makers stride for today. For BMW the idea has been translated to reality as BMW Group and the SCHERM group will employ 100% electric trucks in their service. This means the BMW Group will be the first automobile manufacturer in Europe to use a 40-ton electric truck for material transport on public roads. It was launched at the BMW Group Plant in Munich by Bavaria’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Ilse Aigner.
The 40-ton electric truck is a model from the Dutch manufacturer Terberg which has completed its first test drives. Beginning with July 7th this truck will go into regular operation and travel eight times a day between the SCHERM group logistics centre and the BMW Group plant in Munich. The electric truck will be utilized to deliver different vehicle components, such as shock absorbers, springs and steering systems – albeit with a 100% clean emission rate, giving the residents of Munich a glimpse into the future of heavy trucking.
When we say 100% clean emission rate – we mean exactly that. The electric truck will be exclusively charged with electricity from renewable sources. The combination of this and the alternative driveline means the 40-ton truck helps the environment while it is on the road – it’s CO2-free, quiet and generates almost no fine particle pollution. When compared to a diesel powered truck, the electric vehicle will save 11.8 tons of CO2 annually. Putting this into perspective – the same amount of C02 emissions that would be sent into the outer surroundings by a BMW 320d Efficient Dynamics would travel when going around the world almost three times.
The truck battery takes three to four hours to charge. When fully charged, the vehicle has a range of up to 100 kilometres. Thus, the electric truck can theoretically complete a full production day without any additional recharging.
Bavaria’s Minister for Economic Affairs, Ilse Aigner: “Bavaria is a leading industrial and research location. It is crucial that the Bavarian economy is also at the forefront in electric mobility. BMW is making an important contribution to this and is showing that you can succeed on the global market with sustainable products made by innovative companies.”
Hermann Bohrer, Head of the BMW Group Plant in Munich: “With our electric truck, we are sending another strong signal for sustainable urban mobility. We are contributing to reducing emissions in the city and are proud to be the first automotive manufacturer in Europe to use an electric truck of this size to transport materials on public roads.” Thus, the innovative truck is another valuable contribution to sustainable production.
Jürgen Maidl, Head of Logistics at BMW Group, emphasised the potential of the electric truck. “With this project we will gain valuable information on what will be possible with electric trucks in the future for city logistics. The BMW Group, along with our partner the SCHERM Group, is once again bravely embarking on a new journey and delivering pioneering work.”
Kurt J. F. Scherm, CEO of the SCHERM group underlined: “As a supplier of transport solutions, it is especially important to us to offer sustainable transport. The electric truck is the first step towards CO2-reduced transport logistics. In addition, this innovative truck is charged with 100% green energy.“
Urban mobility – and for the BMW Group this also includes urban logistics and transport — is a topic with great future potential. Since the end of 2013, the BMW i brand has been on the market. In addition, the company has launched its successful car-sharing programme DriveNow and established it in international cities. The BMW i3 vehicles are currently being introduced into the DriveNow fleets step by step.
