Scoring a Guinness World Record for the longest distance covered by an electric truck without recharging, a Futuricum truck used by DPD Switzerland and operating on Continental tyres managed an impressive 1,099 kilometres in 23 hours without needing to charge.
High Capacity Battery and Efficient Tyres Lead to a Record-Breaking Performance
Clocking in at 1,099 kilometres, the private express and package service providers DPD Switzerland, the e-truck brand Futuricum and Continental secured a Guinness World Record title for the longest distance covered by an electric truck without a charging stop. For the record, the partners used an e-truck that had operated in delivery traffic for six months, proving that sustainable, energy-efficient and cost-efficient electric mobility in the transportation industry is not a mobility concept of tomorrow, but is already a reality on European roads today.
This record was set in regional traffic. “For DPD Switzerland, we 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 is the largest truck battery in Europe on board,” explains Adrian Melliger, CEO of Designwerk Products AG, the company behind the Futuricum brand.
The three partners opted for the Continental EfficientPro tyres, 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 optimised tyres,” says Hinnerk Kaiser, Head of Product Development Truck Tyres EMEA of Continental. “Our tyres 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 the range and low rolling resistance.”
Continental’s Contidrom the Site for the 392 Lap Spectacular
The partners found the best record conditions near Hanover on the high-speed oval at the Contidrom, Continental’s in-house test centre, which is a 2.8-kilometre-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 an outside temperature of 14 degrees (57° F) and only around 23 degrees (73° F) for the 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 pass the finish line and win the title of record breakers.
With this record, the partners have set a joint signal for a future with sustainable drive systems in delivery traffic and were able to successfully demonstrate 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 travelling between the depot in Möhlin near Basel to the distribution centre 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 kilometres every day without any problems. We are proud that we have now been able to officially document our performance level.”
