The L.I.T. Group is deploying a fully electric lowliner semi-trailer tractor in daily shuttle traffic between Brake and Bremen, thereby advancing the electrification of heavy-duty transport (from left: Claas Bunjes, Head of Mobility & Digital Solutions and Ralf Biere, Project Management Automotive).
Bremen / Brake (Unterweser), 16.04.2025
The L.I.T. Group continues to advance the electrification of heavy-duty transport: With the fully electric lowliner semi-trailer tractor, an e-truck is now being used for the first time in daily shuttle traffic on the route between Brake and Bremen in series operation. Since February 2025, the vehicle has been in daily use there for the parts supply of an Automotive plant.
»After a successful test run in summer 2024, we are now using the e-truck daily on the route between Brake and Bremen,« says Ingo Schreiber, Board Member of the L.I.T. Group.
The project for a more sustainable design of the transport route was initiated within the group of companies two years ago. Originally, L.I.T. had planned to use a hydrogen-powered truck. With the market launch of the lowliner in summer 2023, new possibilities for fully electric transport opened up. After the test phase was completed, the next step followed: the start of series operation.
»The first deployments of this truck confirm our calculations from the test phase. Despite increased consumption in winter, we can reliably carry out the planned number of round trips daily. We are thus making an important contribution to more sustainable Transport Logistics,« says Schreiber. In summer 2025, a second vehicle of the same type will follow for daily use.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS AND OPERATIONAL CONCEPT
The e-truck is equipped with a 300 kW battery and guarantees a range of 220 kilometers. Energy consumption is between 90 and 110 kWh per 100 kilometers, and charging power is 160 kW.
In daily use, the lowliner transports vehicle components using the Just-in-Sequence method. The route is 130 kilometers per round trip, driven in two-shift operation with four round trips per day and a cargo weight of approximately ten tons per trip.
CHALLENGES AND CHARGING SOLUTION
The introduction of this BEV type (»Battery Electric Vehicle«) raises a central question of e-mobility in heavy-duty transport: How can operation with limited range and fixed delivery times be realized? After each round trip of 130 kilometers, the vehicle must be charged – a logistical challenge that requires precise time planning. Delays in charging affect the transport process and therefore require close coordination between drivers and dispatch.
Claas Bunjes, Head of Mobility & Digital Solutions and project manager at L.I.T., says: »With the electric variant of the lowliner, we are gaining valuable insights into the use of e-trucks in daily freight transport. These experiences not only help to further optimize our processes but also to develop future relations.«
CONCLUSION: ANOTHER STEP TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE LOGISTICS
The successful integration of a battery-electric lowliner semi-trailer tractor into daily shuttle traffic between Brake and Bremen shows that electric trucks can also be reliably used in tightly scheduled logistics chains. »This is an important measure to reduce CO₂ emissions in the logistics sector,« says Bunjes.