With a total of 1,099 kilometers, the private express and package service providers DPD Switzerland, the e-truck brand Futuricum and the premium tire manufacturer Continental have secured the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the longest distance covered by an electric truck without a charging stop. For the record, the partners used an e-truck that has already been in use in delivery traffic for six months, proving that sustainable, energy-efficient and cost-efficient electric mobility in the transportation industry is not a mobility concept of tomorrow, but is already a reality on European roads today.
Record-breaking vehicle with high-capacity battery and efficient tires
This record was set by a Futuricum truck, which has been in use for DPD Switzerland in regional traffic.
“For DPD Switzerland, we have converted a Volvo FH to an electric drive. The 19-ton truck now has over 680 hp and, with a capacity of 680 kilowatt hours, the largest truck battery in Europe on board,”
explains Adrian Melliger, CEO of Designwerk Products AG, the company behind the Futuricum brand.
In addition, the three partners opted for the Continental EfficientPro tires, which are designed for particularly low rolling resistance.
“The upturn in electric mobility has put an even greater focus on the importance particularly rolling resistance optimized tires,”
says Hinnerk Kaiser, Head of Product Development Truck Tires EMEA of Continental.
“Our tires enable high mileage and extremely low rolling resistance and thus offers the essential characteristics for the economical operation of electrically powered commercial vehicles. The EfficientPro is a tried-and-tested model that has been developed especially for long-distance transportation and focuses on range and low rolling resistance.”
1,099 kilometers in 23 hours and 392 laps
The partners found the best record conditions near Hanover on the high-speed oval at the Contidrom, Continental’s in-house test center. It is a 2.8-kilometer-long, oval test track. In total, two drivers completed 392 laps in shifts of 4.5 hours each at an average speed of 50 km/h (31 mph), which is a realistic average value for everyday use. Initially, the weather conditions were not ideal with 14 degrees (57° F) outside temperature and only around 23 degrees (73° F) ground temperature. In addition, the wind blew at an average of 18 km/h (11 mph) with gusts of up to 40 km/h (25 mph). Nevertheless, after just under 23 hours, the partners were able to declare the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title of the longest distance covered by an electric truck without a charging stop with 1,099 kilometers driven.
Performance capability officially documented
With this record, the partners have set a joint signal for a future with sustainable drive systems in delivery traffic and demonstrated the suitability of today’s technologies for everyday use:
“We decided to invest in electric mobility at an early stage. 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,”
says Marc Frank, Strategy & Innovation Director at DPD Switzerland.
“The e-truck can master the roughly 300 kilometers every day without any problems. We are proud that we have now been able to officially document our performance level.”
The record-breaking drive was accompanied by a video team. Find out more here — https://www.dpd.com/ch/en/road-to-record/
Info box
Start: 6:37 a.m. CET
End: 5:33 a.m. CET +1 day
Duration: 22 hours and 56 minutes
Record distance reached: 1,099 km (682.9 mi)
Average speed: 50 km/h (31 mph)
Average consumption 58 kWh/100 km (58 kWh/62 mi)
Vehicle curb weight incl. swap body: 15.5 metric tons
Official Guinness World Records™ title: Greatest distance by electric rigid truck, single charge
About DPD Switzerland
DPD Switzerland is one of Switzerland’s leading private express and package service providers and, with 1,100 employees and drivers, processes over 24 million packages a year for both companies and private individuals. In addition to its headquarters in Buchs/Zurich, the company is also represented at eleven other locations in Switzerland and near the border abroad. DPD Switzerland is part of the DPD group. www.dpd.ch
About Futuricum
Futuricum is a commercial vehicle brand of Designwerk Products AG, which will build up to 200 fully electric vehicles a year in Winterthur in the future. The brand originates from a flagship project that aimed at developing and constructing commercial and ecological 26-metric-ton e-trucks. The company’s core competencies enable the electrification of a wide range of vehicle structures and retrofits. Futuricum thus offers custom solutions in the areas of recycling logistics, distribution logistics, intralogistics, construction logistics, agricultural and forest logistics, and other transportation needs.
About Continental AG
Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic, and transportation. In 2020 Continental generated sales of €37.7 billion and currently employs around 233,000 people in 58 countries and markets. In 2021, the company celebrates its 150th anniversary.The tires business area has 24 production and development locations worldwide. Continental is one of the leading tire manufacturers and generated sales in this business area of €10.2 billion in fiscal year 2020 with more than 56,000 employees. Continental ranks among the technology leaders in tire production and offers a broad product range for passenger cars, commercial and special-purpose vehicles as well as two-wheelers. Through continuous investment in research and development, Continental makes a significant contribution towards mobility that is safer, more cost-effective and more ecologically efficient. The portfolio of the Tires business unit includes services for the tire trade and fleet applications, as well as digital tire management systems.
