Aim of trial is to analyse emission reduction of moving from diesel to electric for long distance travel – proving that battery electric can outperform diesel.
Dublin business ATC Transport & Logistics has completed its second long-haul battery electric truck trial over a 2,600km return journey.
Collaborating with Windrose Technology, an innovative electric truck manufacturer, a 6×4 heavy-truck developed specifically for the European market undertook a return journey from the Netherlands to Hungary.
“This is not a lab test, these are real routes, with real loads, serving some of the most demanding logistics requirements globally”
ATC, is a specialist logistics business serving hyperscale data centres and tech freight forwarders. The business was acquired in recent months by global e-commerce and supply chain player Arvato for an undisclosed sum.
Founded 45 years ago by Alan and Patricia Young and now led by their son Keith Young, ATC now employs over 280 people from over 31 nationalities, with plans to increase headcount to 300 by 2026, and add two further international offices.
Last year the business unveiled a landmark investment of €22.5m over five years to support its companywide ‘Driving Green Strategy’ including the ongoing transition of its HGV fleet from traditional combustion engines to battery-electric power.
Turning electric dreams into reality
ATC has also rapidly scaled up its green initiatives across Ireland and Europe, reinforcing its commitment to zero tailpipe emissions and net zero companywide operations by 2030. As part of this, ATC recently added nine battery-electric Volvo HGVs to its fleet.
The fleet was expanded earlier in the year with ten Volkswagen ID. Buzz electric vans, now operating across Ireland and Europe.
“At ATC, our mission is clear – we want to prove that battery electric vehicles will outperform diesel on long-haul routes across the continent in every way,” said Rainer Hoerbst, head of Green Logistics at ATC.
“This is not a lab test, these are real routes, with real loads, serving some of the most demanding logistics requirements globally. We’re actively working to electrify our routes for key global hyperscale clients in the data centre industry. However, a major challenge is the availability of suitable fast-charging infrastructure, particularly around Vienna and Budapest.
“This is something we’re keen to tackle alongside stakeholders and OEMs across the sector and we’re looking forward to seeing the results from this trial and future test routes.”
The Windrose vehicle features four independent motors, a peak power output of 1,400 hp, a 730 kWh Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) battery pack, and dual fast-charging ports compatible with both Combined Charging System 2 (CCS2) and Megawatt Charging System (MCS) standards.
In previous real-life demonstrations Windrose, a business formed in 2022, has successfully operated its trucks in double trailer configurations of up to 64 tonnes, achieving 520 km of continuous motorway range on a single charge — setting a new benchmark for electric freight under high payload.
This collaboration with ATC represents a further step in validating that battery-electric trucks can match diesel in both uptime and productivity on long-haul routes — enabling a new standard for zero-emission logistics across Europe.
The journey, which is a round trip starting at the Milence fast charging hub at the TruckStop in Venlo, Netherlands, to Budapest, Hungary, and back, will cover approximately 2,600km in total. This is a typical route operated by ATC for one of their global hyperscale clients, which the company aims to fully electrify.
This trial, with support from the Fleet Electrification Coalition from the Smart Freight Centre, forms part of a broader series of real-world evaluations of Battery Electric Trucks (BETs) in different configurations and across multiple OEM platforms. The objective is to collect robust performance data on energy consumption, emissions, and total cost of ownership (TCO) which are all key inputs in ATC’s comprehensive life-cycle analysis framework.
The current trial follows ATC’s first successful run using one of its own Volvo FH Electric tractor units, paired with a TrailerDynamics e-axle trailer. Further long-range battery-electric trials are already scheduled for the Venlo to Budapest and other routes, in collaboration with leading truck OEMs.
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