Leading premium parcel delivery firm DPD has confirmed a long-term trial of the all-electric Mercedes-Benz eActros 300 lowliner.
The trial will see the truck deployed on a customer route to understand the real-world capabilities of the vehicle, including its range, payload and charging performance.
The vehicle’s low coupling height will enable DPD to assess the eActros in a realistic configuration, pulling DPD’s double-deck trailers. DPD has operated double-deck trailers for many years, which reduce the number of vehicles on the road by increasing parcel capacity and reducing the accompanying emissions.
The vehicle will be based at DPD’s Hub 4 and 5 in Hinckley and after undergoing driver training, route and range testing the eActros will be assigned to a DPD customer route.
Image: Daimler UK
The eActros 300 is equipped with three battery packs that have a total battery capacity of 336 kWh1, enabling a range of up to 220 km2 on a single battery charge. A key element of the trial will be charging the eActros using DPD’s existing infrastructure of 50kW chargers – primarily used by delivery vans – during the day when there will be sufficient downtime for the truck to charge using this infrastructure.
DPD’s 1,600 strong HGV fleet is predominantly fuelled by HVO (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil), which can reduce engine emissions by 83% compared to diesel.
As part of Geopost, DPD UK has a Net Zero target of 2040, which is fully validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). DPD UK has confirmed that the UK operation is on track with the trajectory required to meet the group target, after delivering a 47.5% reduction in overall emissions at the end of 2024, compared to the 2020 benchmark.
Tim Jones, Director of Marketing, Communications & Sustainability, DPDgroup UK commented, “This is our first long-term trial of an eHGV within our fleet, specifically pulling our double-deck trailers. Our objective is to make this as realistic as possible, therefore the load and the route will be typical of our overnight operation. This will give us valuable insight into how we can maximize our current charging infrastructure within our transport department’s operation as well as how changing seasons from autumn through to spring affect the vehicle’s performance. This kind of real-world experience is crucial for a true assessment of the potential for lower-emission alternatives in the future.
“We have worked with Mercedes-Benz for many years, and they provided the 300 specifically for this trial, as it matches our core requirement range for the majority of our customer and depot routes. While we will need eHGVs with a much longer range, this will give us a very real test for both the vehicle and our charging network.”
Heiko Selzam, Managing Director of Daimler Truck UK: “We’re proud to be working with DPD on this important eActros 300 trial. Real-world testing with forward-thinking logistics partners like DPD provides invaluable insight into how our zero-emission trucks perform on demanding routes and duty cycles. The data and feedback gathered through this collaboration will help us support DPD and other operators in making the transition to more sustainable transport solutions. Together, we’re helping to shape the future of cleaner, more efficient road freight in the UK.”
Details on all of DPD’s sustainability initiatives can be found on its dedicated website.
1 Nominal capacity of a new battery, based on internally defined general conditions. This can vary depending on the application and environmental conditions.
2 The range was determined in-company under optimum conditions, for example with 3 high-voltage battery modules after preconditioning, partially laden in distribution haulage with a trailer, and at an outside temperature of 20 °C
