- The green electricity eTruck has been built to offer energy-efficient logistics solutionÂ
- With an increase in electric vehicles by 2030, other logistics and transportation vehicles are to soon follow suit at Infineon’s Regensburg facility
Just in time for World Environment Day (5th June 2020), Infineon Technologies has taken a novel step towards promoting CO2 neutrality by focusing on electric mobility for logistics solutions. An electric truck will be commissioned at its Regensburg site in Germany after two weeks of testing. The vehicle of Infineon’s logistics partner Kühne+Nagel will drive the distance between the factory premises and an external warehouse in the east of the city four times per working day, which means the electric truck will cover around 100 km a day. And thanks to the electric drive, it will save some 18 tons of CO2 every year.
“At our Annual General Meeting in February, we set the goal for Infineon to be CO2 neutral by 2030,” said Jochen Hanebeck, Chief Operations Officer on Infineon’s Management Board. “For this, there is not one big measure, but plenty of small steps. The conversion from diesel to electric mobility for transport services in and around our plants is one such step. What we can now learn in Regensburg, we will also implement at the other locations – for the benefit of the environment.”
Eco-friendly charging capability
In contrast to a diesel vehicle, the 7.5-ton truck from the eTruck manufacturer Framo saves up to 60 to 100 per cent of CO2 – depending on how the electricity used was produced. Kühne+Nagel plans to charge the batteries with green electricity. Electricity from renewable energy sources will eliminate CO2 emissions.
The battery developed by Framo has a capacity of 115.6 kWh. This means that the electric truck can cover 115 km – a wide enough range for the daily distance travelled. The vehicle will be used not just to transport packaging and materials, but also finished products.
Growth of electrified motor vehicles
According to a study conducted by Boston Consulting in October 2019, the logistics industry will soon become electrified. It is estimated that by 2030, 35 per cent of newly registered light trucks up to six tons and 26 per cent of heavy trucks over 15 tons will be equipped with alternative drives. Therefore, as a manufacturer of power semiconductors, sensors and microcontrollers, which are needed to drive electrically powered trucks, Infineon has taken the initiative to further leverage from this trend.
Not surprisingly, Framo’s eTruck used in Regensburg is also equipped with components from Infineon. Microcontrollers control the drive and regulate battery management.
The electric truck is the beginning of longer-term development. At the Regensburg site, other vehicles used in logistics such as trucks, forklifts and other vehicles will successively switch to alternative energies.
