DB Schenker pre-orders almost 1500 electric trucks

KUALA LUMPUR: DB Schenker, if you don't know, is one of the world's leading logistics service providers and it has pre-ordered nearly 1,500 full-electric trucks. The catch here is that these e-trucks are coming from Volta Trucks which is a full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer.

Under an intensive partnership between the two companies, this one is the most significant order for large zero-emission trucks in the history of Europe. Also, the prototype will be used in the spring and summer of 2022, under real distribution conditions. The findings from the test will be incorporated into the production of 1,470 e-trucks that will be manufactured in Steyr, Austria.

The Volta Zero was developed not only for zero-emissions but to enhance safety for all road users.

Also, it is not the first time DB Schenker has had its hands on an electric truck, as the logistics company has been testing electric units in Berlin since 2018. DB Schenker introduced the very-first Volvo FL Electric in its lineup and in October 2020, the company announced an order for 36 Fuso eCanter.

On receiving its largest order ever, Volta CEO Essa Al-Saleh said, "Working with DB Schenker on Europe’s largest full electric truck order demonstrates the confidence that major freight distributors have in our ability to deliver a world-class zero-emission vehicle on time and to the highest possible quality."

The agreement between DC Schenker and Volta reads 'pre-order' and the two have not iterated the conditions or when it will become a binding order.

Initially, DC Schenker will get the electric truck's 16-tonne variant, however, the logistics company is also interested in smaller variants. It is known that the two will jointly develop specifications for the previously announced 12-tonne variant. In May 2021, Volta trucks announced the following versions of the electric truck - 7.5-tonne, 12-tonne, and 19-tonne.

The logistics company will initially deploy the trucks at ten locations in five countries. Here, the Volta Zeros will transport goods to and from the distribution hubs to inner cities.

About the order, Cyrille Bonjean, Executive Vice President Land Transport at DB Schenker in Europe said, "We have many challenges to overcome on the road to carbon neutrality. “The large-scale partnership with Volta Trucks allows us to significantly accelerate the electrification of our fleet. Investing in greener transport solutions brings us closer again to our goal of climate-neutral logistics.”

Also Read: Isuzu announces two new F-Series trucks with Allison transmissions