Factory logistics with 25-metre trucks: Fendt opts for longer electric HGVs
The Fendt brand, founded in 1930 in Marktoberdorf, Bavaria, is electrifying the transport of tractor cabs between its plants in Asbach-Bäumenheim and Marktoberdorf. What’s more, it is doing so in a highly unusual way: while most vehicle manufacturers in their factory logistics primarily rely on tractor units in lowloader configuration with an extra-spacious megatrailer as a semi-trailer, Fendt’s solution is all-electric long-HGVs. Together with Allgäu transport service provider Ansorge Logistik, Fendt has replaced its previous diesel trucks with modern electric trucks of the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 type – specifically long versions.
The eight electric long-HGVs of Type 2 (officially referred to in German as “articulated vehicles with centre-axle trailers up to a total length of 25.25 metres”) have been operating shuttle services on the approximately 120-kilometre route between the two Bavarian sites since September. Fendt expects the project to save around 280,000 litres of diesel and approximately 740 tonnes of CO₂ annually. Fendt’s electrification of its factory logistics aligns with the company’s product range: as early as 2017, Fendt – now part of the US group AGCO – unveiled its first battery-electric tractor. Meanwhile, two electric tractors are available on the market: the Fendt e100 Vario and the narrow-track model Fendt e100 V Vario.
Fendt customers feel the impact of climate change
“Sustainability may currently be receiving less public attention, but our customers in agriculture are directly feeling the effects of climate change. Increased extreme weather events, such as droughts, heavy rainfall or local storms, have a direct impact on their operations,” says Dr Jan Cachay, Managing Director of Production at Fendt. “Sustainability remains a central part of our corporate strategy. With electrified cab transport, we are reducing emissions in our production logistics and taking another important step towards resource-efficient production.”
The eight eActros 600 tractor units operated by Ansorge Logistik pull combinations with a total length of 25.25 metres and seven axles. An additional trailer, 7.70 metres long, behind the 13.60-metre semi-trailer provides more loading volume: depending on size, seven to eight tractor cabs fit on such a long-HGV, whereas a conventional semi-trailer can only accommodate four to five cabs. Electric long-HGVs are still extremely rare – with the deployment of eight units, the Ansorge fleet is likely the largest of its kind in Germany.
The additional transport capacity is intended to reduce the number of required trips. Fendt specifies a permissible gross weight of 40 tonnes for the vehicles. After around 240 kilometres, the electric long-HGVs are charged at Ansorge’s depot in Biessenhofen. According to Fendt, the charging time is approximately 45 minutes. Ansorge uses, among other sources, electricity from its own photovoltaic systems and battery storage.
Positive signs after just two months
Around two months after the launch, we asked Ansorge Managing Director Benedikt Roßmann about the initial practical experiences with the electric long-HGVs. “Especially for predictable factory traffic, it is clear that electromobility in heavy road freight transport already works very well today,” explains Roßmann.
A round trip covers around 240 kilometres. According to Roßmann, the range of the eActros 600, at more than 500 kilometres, is more than sufficient. The necessary charging processes can be integrated into the regular driver breaks. The interim energy consumption balance is also positive: the electric long-HGVs consume only a few percentage points more than an electric truck with a standard trailer. Even at low temperatures or in bad weather, there remains sufficient range reserve.
Roßmann also sees economic advantages. Although both the electric trucks and the special long-HGV equipment, as well as the necessary charging infrastructure, involve high investments, the electric truck currently has the edge in terms of total cost of ownership thanks to toll exemptions and self-produced green electricity – especially with high daily mileage and current high diesel prices. In addition, there is the higher transport capacity: “The fact that we can also save up to 30 per cent of trips with the long-HGV is another advantage. Every kilometre we don’t have to drive due to the higher transport capacity is ecologically still the best kilometre.”
According to Roßmann, broader adoption for more customers is primarily hindered by regulatory obstacles. The Type 2 long-HGVs used can only operate on the approved routes of the positive network. Additionally, the permissible payload is limited to 18 tonnes, which means the concept is particularly suitable for light and voluminous goods. However, Ansorge is already examining further possible routes. Regular shuttle services in industry and the automotive sector are particularly interesting. “We can well imagine rolling out the concept to more customers,” says Roßmann.
Longer HGVs: more length, but not more weight
In Germany, conventional truck combinations are permitted to be up to 18.75 metres long. After a five-year trial phase starting in 2012, in which Ansorge also participated with a diesel-powered vehicle, long-HGVs have been permitted with a length of up to 25.25 metres since 2017 (DE). However, the permissible gross weight does not increase: it remains at 40 tonnes in regular traffic (or 42 tonnes for electric trucks) and 44 tonnes in combined transport involving transhipment to ships or trains. There are five different types of long-HGVs:
| Type | Vehicle Combination | Maximum Length |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Tractor unit with extended semi-trailer | 17.88 m |
| 2 | Articulated vehicle with centre-axle trailer | 25.25 m |
| 3 | Truck with dolly and semi-trailer | 25.25 m |
| 4 | Tractor unit with an additional semi-trailer | 25.25 m |
| 5 | Truck with trailer | 24.00 m |
Important to note: Types 2 to 5 are only allowed to travel on the approved routes of the so-called positive network. Although haulage companies can apply for additional routes, the process often takes one to two years. Type 1, on the other hand, has a special status: it may generally be used across the board in the approved federal states, but not in Berlin. The approval for Type 1 is currently limited until 31 December 2026 but is likely to be extended.
Long-HGVs can offer advantages, particularly for voluminous, relatively light loads — such as Fendt’s tractor cabs. However, as mentioned, they are not allowed to be heavier than regular trucks in Germany. Therefore, the long-HGVs approved here are not comparable to the 60-tonne gigaliner concepts used in parts of Scandinavia.
Elflein uses longer eHGVs for two customers
Elflein, a logistics company from Bamberg that has been using electric trucks for some time (DE), recently put its first electric long-HGV into operation. According to the logistics company, since 1 September, a fully electric vehicle from Swiss manufacturer Designwerk has been operating as a long-HGV on the route from Gera to an automotive plant in Zwickau. In a two-shift operation, up to four round trips are planned daily. The one-way distance is 39 kilometres.
According to Elflein, the combination can transport around one-third more load than a conventional truck. With four round trips, the company calculates that direct CO₂ emissions are reduced by around 226 kilograms per day of operation. The deployment, initially planned until the end of 2026, is intended to provide experience on how electric long-HGVs can be integrated into existing transport processes.
In fact, this is not the only project of its kind at Elflein. Marco Schubert, the logistic company’s e-mobility manager, told electrive that four electric long-HGVs are now in regular operation. The other three vehicles have already been in use for about six to nine months for an automotive supplier. They transport goods from its site in Schierling near Regensburg to an automotive plant in Leipzig. The one-way distance is around 360 km. A swap point in Hermsdorf, where Elflein operates its own charging infrastructure, and an additional charging station at the supplier’s site ensure the electric long-HGVs are supplied with electricity. The three MAN eTGX trucks complete three daily circuits with fixed time windows.
According to Marco Schubert, the experience with the vehicles has been overwhelmingly positive. The energy consumption is particularly noteworthy: “It is by no means the case that an electric long-HGV has double the energy consumption. The additional consumption really remains within limits,” says Elflein’s E-Mobility Manager. While a normal electric tractor-trailer requires about 1.0 to 1.1 kWh per kilometre, the consumption of an electric long-HGV is approximately 1.2 to 1.3 kWh, according to his figures. Depending on the load, route profile and weather conditions, the value can also be higher. The additional length thus has less of an impact than initially assumed. Moreover, the vehicles can recover some energy through regeneration on downhill sections.
Long-distance route charging at own HPC stations
Elflein has also found practical solutions for charging. On the OEM route to Zwickau, the entire combination cannot access the public charging station operated by Aral Pulse in Gera. Therefore, the trailer is left at the supplier’s site while the electric tractor unit drives alone to the charging station. After approximately one hour of charging, the driver recouples the trailer. “We use the driver’s regular break time for this. It works perfectly,” reports Schubert. For the second route, as mentioned above, specially constructed charging points at the supplier’s site and at the swap point enable better integration of charging processes into transport operations.
The transports to the automotive plant in Leipzig are quite demanding: the goods are needed to supply automotive production, and buffer stocks are correspondingly low. “The parts don’t have to go directly into production. But the buffer on site only lasts for about six hours. This is, of course, a very tight schedule where nothing must go wrong,” explains Schubert. He sees the fact that the electric long-HGVs function reliably even under such conditions as a positive signal for further deployments. Elflein currently has 19 electric trucks in operation, with another two to three units to be added by the end of the year.
DHL deploys electric long-HGVs in Sweden
Another example comes from Sweden. There, WLX WeLink Express operates a Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 for DHL. According to Daimler Truck, the combination is 25.25 metres long, has seven axles and a gross weight of 36 tonnes. It operates five days a week on two routes between Malmö, Jönköping and Emmaboda, covering a total of more than 1,000 kilometres per day. Operations are conducted in a two-shift system, with driver breaks used for recharging. Daimler Truck states that the eActros 600 has a range of around 500 kilometres under practical conditions without intermediate charging. The Swedish deployment demonstrates that electric trucks can also be used over long daily distances when route planning and charging opportunities are coordinated.
fendt.com (DE), linkedin.com (Ansorge) (DE), linkedin.com, mantruckandbus.com (Elflein) (DE), daimlertruck.com (DHL Sweden)