The entire e-fleet, which is used in the areas of document destruction and archiving, now comprises ten e-Sprinters with 77 kWh batteries, seven Quantron vehicles with 152 kWh and 13 Volvo 16-ton trucks with 360 kWh. In everyday use, the battery capacity of the 16-ton trucks offers ranges of up to 250 kilometres.
“The continuous growth of our electric vehicle fleet and the expansion of the charging infrastructure is a key element in our goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2045,” emphasizes Christian Schulte-Ontrop, Managing Director of Rhenus Office Systems. The e-vehicles are being introduced gradually in order to gather practical experience. Other environmentally friendly vehicles will be added step by step. The focus is currently on testing the range, reliability, charging times and economic aspects. Drivers, dispatchers and sales staff are getting to know the handling and special features of the new vehicles in practical use.
Challenges and solutions: Expanding the charging infrastructure
A key issue in logistics is the currently still inadequate charging infrastructure for e-trucks at many service stations. In order to overcome this challenge, the in-house charging infrastructure was completed by mid-2024. Rhenus Office Systems now has a total of five hyperchargers (300 kW), two fast chargers (50 kW) and 16 AC charging points (up to 2 x 22 kW) at its sites across Germany.
Clear objective: efficient and sustainable logistics
The continuous expansion of the e-vehicle fleet and the charging infrastructure is a key component of the Rhenus Group's sustainability strategy. In the long term, the company will not only reduce its CO₂ emissions but also optimise the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of its logistics operations in order to further strengthen its position as a future-oriented logistics service provider.
The project to expand the charging infrastructure and extend the electric vehicle fleet is being funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport Affairs (BMDV) with a total of EUR 3,209,444 as part of the directive on the promotion of light and heavy commercial vehicles with alternative, climate-friendly drive systems and the associated refueling and charging infrastructure (KsNI). Of this amount, EUR 2,829,200 are allocated to the seven Quantron and 13 Volvo vehicles and a further EUR 380,244 to the seven Hyperchargers and fast chargers. The funding guideline is coordinated by NOW GmbH and applications are approved by the Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility (BALM).