By Olivier Burger 
The transport service providers Galliker Transport and Friderici Special, the construction machinery rental company Avesco Rent and Futuricum, the e-truck brand of the Designwerk Group, presented a world premiere in transport logistics in the arena of the Swiss Museum of Transport: two fully electric 40-tonne tractor units, each with a battery capacity of 900 kilowatt hours. With this battery charge, an empty journey from Zurich to Sicily (1500 km) can be made: With a full load, the range is reduced to 500 to 600 km. For Adrian Melliger, CEO of the Designwerk Group, the semitrailer tractors presented are particularly suitable for transport operations in Switzerland and neighboring countries. " We have reached a milestone with the development of these vehicles. Thanks to the very high battery capacity, we are increasing the radius of action in the logistics sector and enabling energy-intensive applications such as heavy and special transports," explains Adrian Melliger.

A passion for electromobility
Futuricum is the brand of Designwerk Products AG for electric commercial vehicles. The name Futuricum is a tribute to the former Zurich vehicle construction pioneers of Turicum (the ancient name for Zurich). It is also a promise for the future and a commitment to Switzerland as a quality and high-tech location. The brand originated from a flagship project in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), Volvo Trucks, Contena Ochsner AG and other partners, which promoted the development and construction of economical, ecological and powerful e-trucks. Futuricum's core competencies include the construction of e-trucks, the electrification of various vehicle superstructures and conversions. The Winterthur-based company thus offers customized solutions in the fields of recycling, distribution, construction, agriculture and forestry logistics.
Founders Frank Loacker and Tobias Wülser have been living electromobility with every fiber of their being for over 10 years. The passion for this technology was kindled in the two pioneers during the 80-day, all-electric world record circumnavigation with the specially developed Zerotracer cabin motorcycle.

The truck as an electricity producer
The four motors of the SEMI 40E electric truck on show provide a total output of 680 hp. The drive is highly efficient thanks to the recuperation of braking energy (conversion into electricity), which is generated during braking, especially when driving downhill. "The challenging topography in Switzerland helps to ensure that the batteries are recharged during the journey," explains Adrian Melliger. A battery has a service life of ten years. The charging time is 2.5 hours. The batteries are produced in China or Korea. When asked about the amount of electricity required for e-mobility, Adrian Melliger emphasizes that 58% of the electricity produced in Switzerland is generated from hydropower (as of 2020) and therefore comes from sustainable production.

Special permit applied for
The SEMI 40E model does not cause any local emissions during operation. This means that the environment is not polluted with soot particles, nitrogen oxides, CO2 and other harmful substances. The vehicle batteries can also be reused as stationary storage units or recycled. Due to its high efficiency and the elimination of fossil fuels, the e-truck has lower variable operating costs compared to the diesel version. On Swiss roads, e-trucks also benefit from a waiver of the HVF and tax incentives. In order to obtain approval for the all-electric tractor units, the manufacturer had to apply to the Federal Roads Office FEDRO for an exemption order. This approved the additional length of one meter (battery modules behind the cab) and the increase in payload (battery weight) by two tons. The manufacturer is planning to build 200 e-trucks in 2022.