Hermes Germany started testing the first electrified delivery vehicle in Berlin last Friday, specially designed for the parcel operator, as part of the international “Electromobility showcase” programme launched by the German government.
With the electric sprinter, Hermes Germany is supporting the electromobility showcase as a project partner of the CEP industry in the sub-project “Resource-efficient distribution logistics for urban areas with electrically driven distribution vehicles, abbreviated as ‘DisLog’.
The DisLog project aims to promote the expansion of electric mobility in urban areas. It focuses both on new vehicle technology and the development of new collection and distribution concepts such as alternative deliveries to parcel shops or parcel boxes.
The electric sprinter prototype belonging to German E-Cars GmbH has been developed by empro Elektromobilität GmbH in cooperation with vehicle manufacturer CTM especially for the requirements of Hermes Germany in city logistics. Through the use of a 40 kWh lithium-ion battery, it reaches a range of around 120 km. The sprinter model is technically reliable and the largest e-utility vehicle in the Hermes fleet so far, with around 700 kg payload and 15 cubic metres of cargo volume.
Hermes Germany CEO Frank Rausch said: “Hermes has a long tradition of testing alternative drives. The deployment of electro mobility has been a central pillar in the sustainable strategy of our company for 25 years. Thanks to our WE DO! programme, we already managed to effectively reduce CO2 emissions for each shipment delivered by 43%. We are now consistently continuing this path with the showcase project.”
The company has been testing electric vehicles, manufacturer-independently, in Berlin and Hamburg. In London, Hermes UK has been delivering parcels via 100% electric vehicles since 2014.
Since April 2012, Berlin-Brandenburg is one of four electromobility showcases in Germany. The Federal Government allocated €180 million to further the development of alternative drives in a sustainable way. The aim of this major project is to deploy electric mobility nationwide by linking economy, politics and science.
