New e-trucks: Pistor invests over 6 million Swiss francs
Pistor is buying eight new e-trucks for CHF 6.4 million. By the middle of the year, 10% of the company's fleet will be emission-free, according to a statement. This will reduce the burden on the environment by 300 tons of CO2 per year and meet an important customer need.
The wholesaler Pistor, which supplies bakeries, catering companies and hospitals with food, goods and medical consumables, is adding eight eActros-E trucks from Mercedes-Benz to its fleet. This makes a total of eleven of Pistor's 101 trucks electric. "The environment is close to Pistor's heart. We want to emit as little CO2 as possible," explains logistics manager and executive board member Richard Betschart. In addition, more and more customers wanted deliveries with as few emissions as possible. "We achieve this by having our products delivered to our logistics centers by rail. From there, we distribute them to our customers in low-emission trucks."
E-trucks twice as expensive
Pistor accepts higher initial costs for its sustainability efforts: The eight new electric trucks cost over six million Swiss francs, almost twice as much as fuel-powered models, according to the company. However, this additional expense would be outweighed by the lower maintenance costs and savings in terms of the heavy goods vehicle tax. This is not the only reason why the investment is worthwhile, says Betschart: "The future of road transport lies in alternative drives with zero emissions. Pistor started on this path early on and is now consistently pursuing it." For example, the company is continuously replacing fossil-fuel trucks that are being retired from the fleet with electric models.
300 tons less CO2
The eleven Pistor electric trucks save 300 tons of CO2 per year. This is equivalent to the emissions of a gasoline-powered car traveling one million kilometers. The eActros are fueled with electricity from solar and hydroelectric power. With a range of up to 400 kilometers, they are ideally suited to Pistor's route network - with the exception of mountainous regions. In the ecological field, the Rothenburg-based company relies not only on electric trucks but also on geothermal energy storage, solar systems and sustainable building design. The planned eastern distribution center in Sennwald, for example, will be built from spruce wood, will have heat pumps, and will have a rainwater washing line for trucks and rail cars.
Lueg AG as a partner
Pistor procured the new e-trucks through Lueg AG, which distributes Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and commercial vehicles. "We are very proud to be able to accompany Pistor on their journey towards electrification," says Sales Manager Beat Bucher. The joint development of routes and route profiles that are feasible for the electric trucks has also been concluded positively, he adds.
Source: Pistor AG
