Alternative truck drivetrains: Why Ihro is now fully committed to electric trucks
Hans Ihro GmbH is a logistics company founded in 1963 and headquartered in Neuenstein, Württemberg, with branches in Germany and the Czech Republic. The medium-sized enterprise, which employs around 400 people, specialises in Europe-wide transport of sensitive, urgent or exceptionally large goods. Its customers include companies in the automotive industry, as well as the packaging, consumer goods, building materials, insulation and chemical sectors.
For its logistics services, Ihro maintains its own fleet of over 200 articulated lorries, many with custom configurations. The recent order of 15 MAN eTGX trucks now marks a major step towards electromobility for the Baden-Württemberg-based company’s vehicle procurement strategy. And these battery-electric MAN trucks are just the start.
“We are now convinced that electromobility will prevail in road freight transport – irreversibly,” states Kai Ihro, the company’s managing director. While there are still significant challenges – particularly around charging – the suitability of the vehicles for daily operations has now been clearly demonstrated.
The decision to order the 15 eTGX tractor units was driven less by the brand and more by the vehicle configuration. MAN is currently the only manufacturer offering lowliner tractor units in large-scale production – a decisive criterion for Managing Director Ihro, who requires a loading height of three metres for automotive logistics. The new vehicles are currently being integrated and will replace diesel trucks within the fleet.
Image: Spedition Ihro
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More efficient than the manufacturer claims
As early as 2016, the company deployed its first electric tractor unit- a special vehicle from Dutch manufacturer Terberg – for Audi’s in-plant logistics (DE). At the time, the truck operated in a three-shift system and was charged during production breaks. Despite the limited range back then, the concept worked surprisingly well. “We never dropped below 50 per cent battery charge,” Ihro recalls. Since then, the company has also tested other drive technologies – such as CNG and LNG – with all the associated setbacks. But let’s take it step by step.
The serious e-mobility trial for Ihro began with two MAN pre-series vehicles, which have been in operation for the company since March 2025 and have left a consistently positive impression. According to the entrepreneur, the vehicles even consume less energy than the manufacturer predicted: “On daily round trips of around 430 to 440 km, they regularly reach their destination with about 20 per cent remaining capacity,” explains Ihro. Under current operating conditions, this makes ranges of over 500 km possible – albeit with relatively light loads. Ihro emphasises that, as with diesel, range varies significantly depending on weight, topography and driving profile.
Today, the logistics company no longer sees the vehicle itself as the main hurdle, but rather the charging infrastructure. “Operational planning is therefore consistently aligned with available charging points,” explains Kai Schmuck, who heads business development at Ihro. Currently, the company only uses the trucks on fixed scheduled routes, where charging windows and driving times can be better planned. Flexible deployments with daily changing routes are still barely economically viable.
€1.5 million investment in charging infrastructure
The situation at the company’s own site is also challenging. For four years, the company has been waiting for a more powerful grid connection. So far, the existing commercial connection has only been sufficient to charge two vehicles alternately overnight using a mobile 44 kW charging solution. A new medium-voltage connection is expected to be available at the beginning of next year, which, according to Ihro, will suffice for the time being. Otherwise, drivers sometimes use Milence’s truck charging park in Kirchberg an der Jagst, around 30 kilometres away.
In total, the logistics company is investing around €1.5 million in its own charging infrastructure. Funding from the state of Baden-Württemberg has been applied for, and Managing Director Ihro expects this to cover 15 per cent of his investment costs. Plans include five fast-charging points with up to 400 kW each, as well as a megawatt charger delivering 700 kW of charging power. At the same time, the company is massively expanding its photovoltaic systems, reinforcing warehouse roofs and even equipping facades with solar modules. “We expect to consume all our PV-generated electricity ourselves within two to three years,” says Ihro.
The system is complemented by a one-megawatt battery storage system to enable as much of the self-generated electricity as possible to be used for the vehicle fleet in the future. “Unfortunately, the expansion is only possible with considerable technical and bureaucratic effort – we never expected this in our lives,” Ihro states. Public charging also remains a critical factor from his perspective. While the network is growing continuously, many locations are unsuitable for articulated lorries due to lack of space or because drivers have to uncouple the trailers. Additionally, electricity prices sometimes reach up to €0.70 cents per kWh. “That certainly doesn’t promote electromobility,” he added. On the other hand, he positively evaluates charging parks specifically designed for commercial vehicles, such as Milence’s near his company headquarters, where entire articulated lorries can charge quickly without uncoupling and benefit from transparent tariffs.
Sobering findings on CNG and LNG drivetrains
Despite the challenges, the company considers electric drivetrains the best solution among alternative technologies. This assessment is also based on Ihro’s experiences with other systems: In 2016, the company acquired five CNG trucks, but the results were less than satisfactory. While the vehicles worked technically, the dismantling of refuelling stations eliminated their operational basis. “Today, there are hardly any refuelling options left, and the remaining vehicles are practically worthless on our premises,” laments the Managing Director, who still hopes for some scrap value.
Even more sobering is the balance sheet for the LNG fleet. Since 2021, Ihro has operated 15 LNG trucks. “These vehicles proved to be extremely prone to faults,” reports the Managing Director. Fuel gauges worked unreliably, and technical defects regularly led to costly recovery operations costing thousands of euros. Several vehicles failed well before reaching 500,000 km. In addition, some refuelling stations were defective, and LNG prices skyrocketed due to the Ukraine war. At times, the price rose from a calculated €1 to up to €5 per kilogram. “A financial disaster,” is Kai Ihro’s verdict. In hindsight, he even describes LNG as an outright deception – both economically and environmentally.
Hydrogen also plays no role in the company’s plans. Neither hydrogen combustion engines nor fuel cell vehicles can, in the company’s view, offer advantages over battery-electric trucks. The technical progress in batteries and, in particular, megawatt charging will advance faster than hydrogen infrastructure, Ihro and Schmuck are convinced.
Electric trucks score points with drivers and customers
According to the company, electric trucks are already economically viable today under certain conditions. Prerequisites include low-cost electricity, high annual mileage and daily operations of at least around 500 km. The toll exemption significantly improves the cost calculation, according to those responsible. “However, charging infrastructure must grow significantly to allow these vehicles to be used flexibly outside fixed scheduled routes in the future,” says Schmuck.
Customer demand is already moving in the right direction. In particular, automotive manufacturers are increasingly requesting emissions-free transport solutions in their tenders. While longer contract terms and subsidies were previously negotiated in return, the expectation among customers is now growing that battery-electric transport should be “offered at economically competitive rates,” according to Ihro’s management.
And what about the truck drivers? The technology has been well received among drivers. According to Ihro, they report better driving comfort, a quieter workplace and even preferential treatment by customers at their premises. The conclusion is clear: “Once someone has driven an electric truck, they want to stick with it and not go back to diesel,” says the Managing Director. The fleet transformation has begun. In the future, Ihro plans to electrify more vehicles every year and hopes that power grids, charging infrastructure and storage capacities will grow in parallel.