DB Schenker speeds transition to all-electric urban vehicle fleet

Logistics services provider DB Schenker has pre-ordered nearly 1,500 zero-emissions delivery trucks from Volta Trucks in an effort to speed its transition to an all-electric urban vehicle fleet in Europe, the company said Tuesday. The deal marks the largest pre-order for electric trucks in Europe to date, according to both companies.

The partnership brings DB Schenker closer to its carbon-neutral logistics goals, with plans to implement Volta’s zero-emissions vehicles designed specifically for urban environments. Through the partnership, DB Schenker will test the first prototype of the 16-ton Volta Zero Truck in real-world, inner city logistics operations next spring and summer. Findings from the test program will be incorporated into the production of 1,470 vehicles, which will be built at Volta’s facility in Steyr, Austria, company leaders said. The vehicles will then be rolled out to 10 locations in five countries.

“We have many challenges to overcome on the road to carbon neutrality,” according to Cyrille Bonjean, executive vice president for land transport at DB Schenker Europe. “The large-scale partnership with Volta Trucks allows us to significantly increase the pace of electrification of our fleet and invest in greener transport solutions, [bringing] us closer again to our goal of carbon neutral logistics.”

The announcement follows similar moves recently by North American companies aimed at developing greener urban logistics operations.