A historic journey was recently made by a Volvo FH Electric 40-ton semi-trailer truck, traveling a distance of 1,864 miles (3,000 km) between Zurich, Switzerland, and Valencia, Spain. This was the longest trip ever completed by a commercial electric truck.
The round-trip was undertaken by Swiss logistics firm Krummen Kerzers, with driver Balint Schnell at the wheel. Schnell was tasked with picking up 20 tons of oranges from Casa del Mas grocery store’s citrus orchard in Canals, near Valencia, for delivery back to Küsnacht, on Lake Zurich.
As this was Schnell’s first time driving an electric semi, he had to familiarize himself with the vehicle and carefully plan the route to ensure adequate charging time during the journey.
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The trip took a total of one week, compared to the four days it would have taken in a diesel semi. Adhering to EU driving and rest times, Schnell made approximately 20 stops along the way. This impressive feat highlights the growing capabilities and potential of electric trucks in the commercial transportation industry.
Peter Krummen, co-managing director of Krummen Kerzers, and his team recently took a significant step towards electrifying their fleet of commercial vehicles. Despite the lack of charging infrastructure designed for electric semi-trucks, they were able to successfully make a long-distance trip with one of their electric trucks.
However, they encountered a challenge when trying to charge their vehicle at regular EV stations, as the charging speed slowed down significantly when other vehicles were using the station. Despite this setback, the team learned valuable information about the use of electric trucks in long-distance travel, and they were able to save nearly 3 tons of CO2 emissions.
See also: Volvo launches rigid versions of its heavy electric trucks: the Volvo FH, Volvo FM and Volvo FMX
Krummen Kerzers is now looking to build on this experience by investing in electric truck charging infrastructure at their office in Kerzers, Switzerland and at three additional locations in the country. The company’s goal is to have 18 electric trucks in their fleet by the end of 2023, and they see the development of charging infrastructure as a crucial step towards achieving this objective. For Krummen and his team, the knowledge gained from this trip and the reduction in CO2 emissions make it a worthwhile endeavor, regardless of whether or not it sets a record.
