Europe’s First All Electric Tractor Trailer Rolls in Germany

In one giant step for electric trucks, a BMW-led project has put Europe’s first all-electric tractor trailer on the road in Munich, Germany. Impressive yes. Practical, not yet.

The 40-ton truck only has a range of slightly more than 60 miles per charge, which reportedly takes three or four hours. Its first commercial assignment will be transporting vehicle components — such as shock absorbers, springs and steering systems — over stretches of less than two miles across Munich seven times a day.

Developed by BMW Group and the SCHERM group, a German automotive service provider, the truck is a model from the Dutch manufacturer Terberg. According to the companies, the truck is “CO2-free, quiet and generates almost no fine particle pollution.”

They also state that compared to a standard diesel engine truck, the electric truck will save 11.8 tons of carbon dioxide per year. Now that’s big. The need is strong.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calculates that medium- and heavy-duty vehicles account for about one-fifth of greenhouse gas emissions and oil use in the U.S. transportation sector, but only make up about 5 percent of vehicles on the road.

In June, the EPA and the Department of Transportation joined forces with a proposal to turn this trend around and reduce carbon dioxide emissions from heavy duty trucks by about one billion metric tons for vehicles made between 2021 and 2027.

Category: Featured, General Update, Green