Contargo builds up the biggest private charging network for trucks in Germany
At the end of January, Rhenus Trucking awarded the biggest single contract so far for a private charging infrastructure in Germany to SBRS. In the course of this year, SBRS will install 33 loading points at 14 locations of Contargo in Germany. These will enable the trimodal container transport service provider to expand its fleet from the present count of seven e-trucks to 33 over the next few months.
“This is a milestone for our enterprise on the way to decarbonisation by 2045, says Jürgen Albersmann, Managing Director of Contargo GmbH & Co. KG. “Building up a high-performance, future-oriented charging infrastructure is a prerequisite for comprehensive use of e-trucks in the local transport of containers.”
Charging point at 14 locations in Germany
In June 2022, Contargo and Rhenus Trucking received notification of funding under the German support programme for 28 battery-driven 44-tonners plus the relevant infrastructure. Rhenus Trucking has ordered the vehicles, and as service provider will deliver them progressively to its customer and sister company Contargo in the course of 2023. Parallel to this, SBRS will install a total of 33 charging points, each with an output of 250 kW, at Contargo’s locations in Duisburg, Voerde-Emmelsum, Emmerich, Frankfurt-Ost, Industriepark Frankfurt-Höchst, Gustavsburg, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Koblenz, Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Neuss, Weil am Rhein and Wörth.
“With such a powerful infrastructure, we can use the e-trucks with the same flexibility as diesels. At the same time, we offer our truck drivers a future-safe job – and a low-noise work environment”, says Michael Starke, Managing Director of Rhenus Trucking.
At Contargo the aim is to drive 1.5 million kilometres per year with these e-trucks: “In this way we will save almost 1,500 tonnes of CO2e annually, already reducing our total footprint by one percent”, says Kristiane Schmidt, Sustainable Solutions Contargo. “Thus by ramping-up e-mobility we are offering all our customers the possibility of massively reducing their emissions.”
The procurement of the 28 e-trucks and the relevant infrastructure is subsidised by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport under the funding guidelines for the purchase of commercial vehicles with alternative climate-friendly drivetrains and the deployment of refuelling and charging infrastructure (KsNI). The funding guidelines are coordinated by NOW GmbH, (National Organisation Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology). Applications are approved by the Federal Logistics and Mobility Office