How far can an electric truck go without stopping? Swiss delivery company DPD decided to find out with the help of Continental Tires. The answer turned out to be 682.88 miles or 1,099 km.
The epic drive took place on a closed test track and lasted 23 hours, with two drivers taking shifts of 4.5 hours each. The average speed was 31 mph or 50 km/h. It took a total of 392 rounds of the track to wear out the battery.
While highway speeds are faster and would have completed the same distance in about 10 hours, the 31 mph is closer to the speed achieved in standard regional transport services.
To last that long, the electric truck made by Swiss company Futuricum stuck a 680 kWh battery with a usable capacity of 578 kWh. The electric truck lasted far more than the 473 miles advertised on its manufacturer’s website.
Futuricum makes electric trucks from Volvo’s truck chassis. It based this model on a 19-ton Volvo FH truck. Its electric motor produces over 680 hp and uses the largest truck battery in Europe. The company hopes to build about 200 trucks each year in its Winterthur facility.
Part of what made the extraordinary range possible is the expertise of the drivers, special tires supplied by Continental. It also helped that the truck was empty throughout the drive.
That was not to say the truck had it all easy as it had to cut through fairly strong winds with low temperatures.
DFD has used Futuricum electric trucks in regional transport for about six months, where the trucks have taken on in hilly and mountainous conditions. They usually cover 186 miles on their route with no problem.
Continental supplied its EfficientPro tires designed for low rolling resistance. The choice of tires resulted in a higher mileage for the truck.
Guinness World Records have acknowledged the long-distance feat.
DFD is a private express and package services provider in Switzerland with more than 1,100 employees. It handles more than 24 million packages each year.
Continental Tires makes a wide range of tires for different vehicles.