KEMPTEN, Germany: November 20, 2018. Dachser plans to replace all of its 6,000 ground conveyors in Europe by 2022 with vehicles powered by energy-saving lithium-ion batteries.

Compared to conventional lead-acid batteries, lithium-ion lasts three times longer and has significantly shorter charging times.

This increases the flexibility of using vehicles equipped with these batteries and also eliminates rooms to be used for battery charging. “When you factor in the savings in avoided maintenance and damage costs, since the batteries no longer have to be taken out of the vehicle every day for charging, then having a lithium-ion fleet has already paid for itself today,” said André Bilz, Dachser Team Leader Fleet Management Terminal Equipment.

Switching to a lithium-ion battery saves 1,600 kgs of CO2 emissions per vehicle, per year says the company while conventional batteries, which have to be replaced after 1,200 charging cycles, contain environmentally harmful lead.

“Dachser invests continuously in cutting-edge logistics facilities and equipment, which ultimately enhances the quality of its services,” explained Michael Schilling, Dachser’s COO Road Logistics. “This modernization project is an excellent example of how profitability and sustainability can go hand in hand, which in turn produces benefits for our customers.”

The company intends to replace conventional lead batteries in all its Road Logistics locations in Europe by 2022. “Together with our partners, we will be driving forward the development of ground conveyor technology. Our aim is to increase the vehicles’ usability by making them smaller, more maneuverable, and more lightweight,” Bilz added.