sennder and Cabot transported 17+tonnes from the port of Rotterdam, the Netherlands to Antwerp, Belgium
The project tested and proved that electric vehicles can successfully deliver commercial goods in the heaviest weight class of 40+ tonnes
The truck was charged just once for the Rotterdam to Antwerp trip using existing highway charging infrastructure.
Berlin and Botlek, 15th December 2021. sennder, Europe’s leading digital road freight forwarder and Cabot Corporation, a leading global specialty chemicals and performance materials company, transported one of Europe’s first zero-emission cross-border heavy duty loads. In a pilot electric trucking project, sennder transported 17+ tonnes of product for Cabot from the port of Rotterdam to Antwerp, Belgium and then returned to base – a round trip covering a distance of more than 300km.
The pilot project was conducted to test the long-term capabilities of 40+ tonne electric trucks. BREYTNER, an operator of zero-emission electric trucks, in association with Hn Post & Zonen, their joint venture partner, provided the heavy duty vehicle, which has a maximum gross vehicle weight of 50 tonnes and a battery range of 150km. It ran entirely on electricity, with one charge taking place on the way to the destination and another when returning to base. Each charge took approximately an hour and twenty minutes and occurred in the Netherlands, a country with one of the densest charging networks in the world. The pilot project demonstrates that a 40+ tonne electric truck can travel over 300km while being exclusively charged by existing highway infrastructure.
As a digital freight forwarder, sennder connects commercial shippers, like Cabot, with carriers like BREYTNER. With shippers such as Cabot increasingly striving for low-carbon transportation solutions, the industry is reaching a turning point. Furthermore, with shippers and governments committing to net zero by 2040 or 2050 with sizable emissions reductions by 2030, the industry needs options for sustainable transportation. sennder is investing in bringing electric vehicles, and advanced low-carbon fuels and route optimisation solutions to its customers, enabling shippers to effectively decarbonize their transportation.
Cabot recently announced its ambition to achieve net zero emissions globally by 2050. In support of the transition to a lower carbon economy, the company is engaging with suppliers that offer carbon offsets and sustainable solutions that minimize the impact on the environment. sennder and Cabot will engage in discussions about how the two parties can work together to increase the utilization of low and zero-carbon European transports.
Graham Major-Ex, head of green business at sennder, states: “Delivering our first zero emissions heavy duty electric transport is an accomplishment for our teams to be proud of. sennder is committed to giving shippers the best low-carbon transportation options in the industry; both advanced fuels and zero-emissions electric vehicles will play key roles in this. As a forwarder, it is vital that we work with partners such as Cabot and BREYTNER, with whom we can build a green future together. Some doubted whether fully loaded 40+ tonne trucks could travel highway distances on just electricity – we have proven that this is not only possible but something deliverable today.”
François Zehr, global logistics director at Cabot, says: "As we advance in our ongoing commitment to further our sustainability agenda, we see great potential to help drive toward our net zero ambitions by transforming our transportation fleet to electric and other low carbon vehicles. Collaborating with our suppliers will be an integral part in reducing the overall impact of our value chain. We are proud to partner with sennder and BREYTNER on this electric truck pilot as we progress toward increasing low and carbon free transportation and enable a more sustainable future."
About sennder
sennder was founded in 2015 by David Nothacker, Julius Köhler and Nicolaus Schefenacker and is now the leading digital European freight forwarder, offering shippers access to our connected fleet of thousands of trucks. In a traditional industry sennder is moving fast and focuses on the digitalization and automation of all road logistics processes. sennder deploys over 40,000 trucks across Europe, with access to more than 120,000 vehicles and has a team of over 900 people. By leveraging its proprietary technology, sennder builds an ecosystem that leads the industry into the 21st century with a new degree of transparency, efficiency and flexibility. sennder is backed by some of Europe’s leading investors including Baillie Gifford, Accel, Lakestar, HV Capital, Project A, Next47, Scania Growth Capital, Earlybird and Perpetual. Additionally, sennder joined forces with industry champions Scania and Siemens to assure innovation and state of the art offerings.
For further information, please visit us on our website and LinkedIn.
About Cabot Corporation
Cabot Corporation (NYSE: CBT) is a global specialty chemicals and performance materials company, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The company is a leading provider of rubber and specialty carbons, activated carbon, elastomer composites, inkjet colorants, masterbatches and conductive compounds, fumed silica and aerogel. For more information on Cabot, please visit the company’s website at cabotcorp.com.