Continental, DPD Switzerland and Futuricum Show the Way Forward for E-Mobility in the Transport Sector With a World Record

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 of 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.”

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.

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.”