DPD Switzerland, Continental Tires, and Futuricum last week announced that they had earned the Guinness World Record for the longest distance covered by an electric truck without recharging. The truck, a modified Volvo unit, traveled 1,099 km (682.8 miles).
The vehicle completed the distance at Continental‘s 2.8 km (1.7 miles) long test track near Hanover, Germany. The team used two drivers to run in four-and-a-half-hour stints. They completed 392 laps of the oval at an average speed of 50 km/h (31 mph) in 23 hours.
“We decided to invest in electric mobility at an early stage,” said Marc Frank, director of strategy and innovation at DPD Switzerland, which operates the vehicle. “The Futuricum truck has been traveling between the depot in Möhlin near Basel to the distribution center in Buchs/Zurich for about six months now.”
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The 19-ton truck makes 680 hp and has a battery capacity of 680 kWh, the largest of any similar vehicle in Europe. It also made use of high-efficiency, low rolling resistance tires from Continental.
A number of truckmakers and new companies seek to move the industry over to electric power. In 2017, heavy-duty trucks and buses accounted for about 19 percent of all of the EU transportation sector‘s greenhouse gas emissions, making it a target for those who wish to take on the climate crisis.
With companies like Volvo and Mercedes bringing their own electric trucks to the market, the race is on to prove that EVs can do everything internal combustion trucks do now.
This record, say the partners who completed it, proves that sustainable trucking is possible.