Scania and the DHL Group have jointly developed an electric truck with a fuel-powered generator, with the companies aiming to demonstrate how battery-electric road transport can be achieved without the need for a complete charging network.
Here, they cited challenges such as a lack of charging infrastructure, the costs associated with charging capacity during seasonal peaks, and the strain on both the grid and high spot prices for electricity on calm winter days, for example.
The new e-truck, itself, will be deployed by the Post & Parcel Germany division in February for parcel transport between Berlin and Hamburg to test its performance in daily operations, before additional vehicles are added to DHL’s fleet. Its fuel-powered generator sits in place of one of the battery packs featured in a full electric truck that the companies say is not necessary for the majority of travel routes.
While this reduces the overall range of the vehicle coming from the batteries, the generator offers a source of back-up energy for longer journeys. With the generator, Scania and DHL expect the vehicle’s range to be between 650 to 800 kilometers (403 to 497 miles). When this range begins to run low, it can be refueled at any conventional petrol station.
Internally, the EREV is powered by a 230 kW (308 hp) electric engine, with energy delivered by a 416 kWh battery and a 120 kW gasoline-powered generator. This setup helps the vehicle achieve a maximum speed is 89 km/h (55 mph), while it more broadly offers a cargo capacity of approximately 1,000 parcels (volume of a swap body). The truck can also pull a trailer with an additional swap body.
