Hermes Germany has signed a wide-ranging strategic partnership with Mercedes-Benz Vans to start using battery-electric vehicles in real-life conditions in a pilot phase in Stuttgart and Hamburg in early 2018. By the end of 2020, the company aims to deploy 1,500 Mercedes-Benz Vito and Sprinter electric vans in urban areas across Germany.
When testing the vehicles, the focus will be on the economy, sustainability and practicality of emission-free delivery vans when used for the last mile, the company stressed.
“Electric mobility plays a key role as part of our long-term strategy for climate and environmental protection. With this in mind, we are continuing along the path of sustainably renewing our fleet of vehicles. The strategic partnership with Mercedes-Benz is another milestone in this process. We are especially pleased to have Mercedes-Benz as a prestigious partner since 1972. An important key aspect for the future is the gradual electrification of our fleet in urban areas. At the same time, we are continuing with the full transition to low-emission Euro 6 vehicles,” Frank Rausch, CEO of Hermes Germany GmbH, said.
The partners have set themselves the goal of improving efficiency, productivity and sustainability in parcel deliveries due to the rapid growth in e-commerce and the resulting challenges for courier, express and parcel (CEP) companies. Thanks to quiet, locally emission-free vehicles, Mercedes-Benz Vans and Hermes Germany want to make a lasting contribution to optimising urban delivery transport.
By the year 2025, Hermes plans to make emission-free deliveries in the inner-city areas of all major German cities. To charge the electric vehicles’ batteries, solely electricity from 100% regenerative energy sources will be used. The electricity will be generated with a completely neutral effect on the climate and certified in line with the green-electricity label “Grüner Strom” from environmental associations.
A special focus will be on the technical feasibility and economic efficiency of battery-electric vehicles in the CEP industry with the aim to develop new concepts for the integration of battery-electric vans – including the required charging infrastructure – into existing operational processes.
The development of system solutions in the vehicle and beyond that are optimally adapted for the specific applications is another crucial driver of efficiency improvements. In the context of the strategic partnership with Hermes, Mercedes-Benz Vans will thus also implement “connected” services – for example, services that ensure optimal route planning with the use of information on the vans’ batteries and remaining range.
“Electric drive is a key technology for urban transport – especially in commercial use. Last-mile deliveries must become more efficient and – in specific applications – emission-free. Last year, we announced that we will put a Mercedes-Benz electric van into series production again; our first one was in 2011. We are proud that we can already announce that Hermes will be our first customer – and with a significant number of vehicles. This is a specific implementation of our plans for tailored industry solutions in cooperation with our customers. Hermes requires mid-size and large vans with electric drive for its applications. We can meet both needs with high-quality, reliable and safe vehicles that set high standards also in terms of driver ergonomics,” Volker Mornhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, commented.
For over 40 years now, Hermes and Daimler have had a growing partnership mainly based on conventional vehicles but also with a long tradition in the research and development of alternative drive systems. That goes back to the nineties and tests of the very first van on the market powered by hydrogen. In 2001, Hermes tested a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter with fuel-cell technology in normal operating conditions. In 2011, the company deployed the first series-produced electric vehicle from Mercedes-Benz Vans, the Vito E-CELL. The two companies also cooperate on vehicles above 3.5 tons. Together with Hermes and the city of Stuttgart, Daimler is currently conducting a fleet test with five battery-powered Fuso Canter E-CELL vehicles in urban distribution transport. The trial started in April 2016.
