eTrailer in the test at DB Schenker: Significantly lower fuel consumption

The use of eTrailers in land transport enables fuel consumption savings of between 24 and 55 percent. This is shown by a joint field test by DB Schenker, one of the world's leading logistics service providers,

Trailer Dynamics and the Krone Commercial Vehicle Group in real transport operations. eTrailers can thus make a significant contribution to the decarbonisation of land transport. eTrailers are semi-trailers that have an electric drive train and thus support the semi-trailer tractor with energy, for example when starting off or climbing hills.

With the field test, which was carried out in France in the spring of 2023, concrete savings in diesel consumption in real operation at DB Schenker could be verified for the first time. In a professional field test environment, the diesel consumption of the semitrailer system with a conventional trailer was compared with the diesel consumption of the semitrailer system in combination with an eTrailer. The eTrailer M300 from Trailer Dynamics dynamically supported the diesel semi-trailer truck over the entire test route and controlled the electrified axle in real time. The savings varied depending on the topography or the type of route in the area of operation.

Another result of the test showed that the total consumption of electrical and fossil energy and thus the savings in diesel requirements can be precisely predicted. For this purpose, Trailer Dynamics has developed a performance analysis software that is used in advising customers. The actually measured energy consumption in the test deviated from the forecasts by only 0.7% and 0.9%. The tests in the DB Schenker network will continue over the course of the year.

Wolfgang Janda, Head of System Operations at DB Schenker Europe: “Our goal is to make DB Schenker the leading provider of clean transport solutions. In order to achieve this, we are no longer just focusing on the last mile, but now also on linehaul traffic. The test with Trailer Dynamics shows that eTrailers can be an important component here. We are impressed by how easy the eTrailer system is to use on a day-to-day basis.”

Abdullah Jaber, CEO Trailer Dynamics: "The impressive results and the successful verification of the digital simulation models from Trailer Dynamics with regard to the diesel reduction potential of the tractor unit and the energy consumption of our eTrailer in a real field test together with DB Schenker once again confirm the importance of eTrailer technology for decarbonization of heavy goods traffic".