The converted 12-ton vehicle has a permanently integrated battery with a charging time of nine to ten hours, which is charged at the Meyer & Meyer site in Peine. It is unique in this form in Germany. The drivers are also specially trained to handle the vehicle. In addition, the fashion logistics specialist has been using two type 3 long trucks since fall 2019. These are ideal for transporting hanging textiles: "Clothing takes up a lot of space, but is light. Thanks to the higher transport volume, we can save on journeys and therefore consume less CO2. Even in comparison with our XXL equipment, which is also volume-optimized, every 20th trip with the long trucks is climate-neutral under optimal volume utilization," explains Robert Justenhoven.

Together with various project partners, Meyer & Meyer has also played a leading role in the "Route Charge" project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and, as part of this, has built an electric truck based on interchangeable batteries, which is currently being tested. In contrast to the permanently installed batteries in conventional e-trucks, this vehicle has two batteries, while two others can be charged and swapped. "The innovative swapping system overcomes one of the major weaknesses of conventional e-trucks: By swapping batteries, tours of up to 500 km are possible. For the first time, Meyer & Meyer can use an electrically powered vehicle to cover medium distances in store deliveries," explains Bijan Abdolrahimi from MC Management GmbH, a Meyer & Meyer Group company, who is managing the project. The go-ahead for the "Route Charge Truck" was given in 2016. The tests will continue until spring 2020, after which the vehicle will be transferred to regular operations at Meyer & Meyer.