• Across national borders and through Germany’s low mountain ranges: four Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 take on challenging transport tasks at August Gschwander Transport GmbH
• Spedition Gschwander is one of the pioneers of the transformation and one of the first customers of the eActros 600 in Germany
• The medium-sized company from Teningen is aiming to achieve 100 percent climate-neutral transportation and has drawn up a first positive interim report for the operation of zero-emission trucks
• Challenges remain regarding payload and charging infrastructure

Leinfelden-Echterdingen / Teningen – Convinced to go electric: Spedition Gschwander, based in Teningen, in the south-west of Baden-Württemberg is making the transition from diesel to electric trucks without any intermediate stages. “We are not satisfied with an 85 to 90 percent reduction in CO2; we want to achieve 100 percent climate-neutral transportation,” explains Simon Gschwander, responsible for project management at the silo transport company, which was founded in 1969. Alternative fuels such as LNG or HVO100 are therefore not used in its fleet. Instead, the medium-sized company, run by Andreas August Gschwander and Andreas Gschwander in the second and third generation, is entering the age of electromobility with four fully electric trucks. The company is relying on the eActros 600, the new electric flagship from Mercedes-Benz Trucks. 

Stina Fagerman, Head of Marketing, Sales and Services Mercedes-Benz Trucks: “Spedition Gschwander is a role model in the industry. The company is one of the pioneers of the transformation and one of the first customers in Germany to receive the eActros 600. We are convinced that our new flagship for battery-powered long-distance haulage will also prove its worth in the demanding discipline of building materials logistics.”

Four new eActros 600 for the truck fleet of Spedition Gschwander

Shortly before Christmas last year, the managers of the bulk goods logistics company, which operates as August Gschwander Transport GmbH, and their drivers received the four eActros 600 semitrailer tractors at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth am Rhein. “The handover was an impressive experience for all of us and a real milestone in the 55 years of successful cooperation between Mercedes-Benz Trucks and Spedition Gschwander,” says Simon Gschwander. Around 70 of the approximately 180 tractor units in his company come from Mercedes-Benz Trucks. Accordingly, there has always been great interest in the technical innovations of the brand with the star. The eActros 600, named International Truck of the Year 2025, impressed the fleet operator with its overall concept and long range, which enables demanding long-haul battery-electric transportation.

With the eActros 600 across national borders and through Germany’s low mountain ranges

At the family-owned company, the four electric vehicles from Mercedes-Benz Trucks have to meet the same requirements as their diesel-powered siblings. In the border triangle, this includes cross-border traffic on the one hand, often associated with waiting times at the crossings. There are regular trips to Alsace and Switzerland, for example. On the other hand, the battery-electric trucks have to prove themselves in their daily transportation tasks, even in the challenging topography of two German low mountain ranges - the Swabian Alb and the Black Forest. Their deployment therefore requires careful preparation. “The dispatchers not only have to ensure that the vehicles return on time and in accordance with the driver’s driving times. They also have to check what options are available for recharging on the way,” explains Simon Gschwander. “Finding suitable charging options is still the biggest operational pain point at the moment”, he says. So far, the dispatchers have managed the new requirement well, finding a charging station for each truck in time.

Medium-sized company switches to electric mobility out of conviction

Since the beginning of the year, the electric quartet has been in use at the South Baden-based company. According to Spedition Gschwander, the range of 500 kilometers^[1] stated by Mercedes-Benz Trucks is realistically achievable without intermediate charging. This is made possible by a new, particularly efficient electric drive axle developed in-house, and by the high capacity of the lithium iron phosphate batteries: The three battery packs installed have a combined capacity of over 600 kWh^[2] - hence the model designation 600. The range of the new electric truck is making a significant contribution to the positive interim results of the four eActros 600 at Spedition Gschwander. High daily mileage also increases economic efficiency: In Germany, zero-emission trucks are exempt from the truck toll until the end of the year. The more kilometers an electric truck drives, the more it saves on tolls and the greater its operating advantage over a conventional diesel truck. 

However, there are still challenges to be overcome, according to the managers of Spedition Gschwander. The higher gross combination mass allowed for fully electric trucks does not yet compensate for the weight of the battery packs. “This is an important point, especially in the silo segment, where every gram of payload counts,” explains Simon Gschwander. In his opinion, it is up to the legislator to make adjustments here. “Nevertheless, it was right to take this path. It is the right effort in the right place,” emphasizes the company’s project manager. “You have to take the step towards electric mobility out of conviction and not just focus on a quick business case.” This is why Spedition Gschwander will be adding four more heavy-duty electric tractor units to its fleet in the coming weeks.

After the first few weeks, the drivers’ opinion is also clear: Nobody wants to go back to diesel, they say. The initial doubts of all the drivers were gone. Young drivers in particular like electric trucks, according to Simon Gschwander. “We have already received applications that explicitly refer to our social media posts with the eActros 600,” he says. For young people, the vehicle is both an eye-catcher and a motivator. In addition, Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ electric semitrailer tractor has an image-enhancing effect: “You can see that something is really happening in the industry and with us in terms of climate protection.”

Mercedes-Benz Trucks provides support for driver training and charging infrastructure

The drivers of Spedition Gschwander were extensively trained by the company’s own trainer and by Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ driving instructors on how to use the electric truck and the high-voltage technology. With a 360-degree approach, the manufacturer of commercial vehicles offers a wide range of services for all aspects of battery-electric vehicles. In addition to driver training, Mercedes-Benz Trucks also contributed to the topic of charging infrastructure. A team from the eMobility Consulting division was on site and shared its knowledge about the construction, dimensioning, and operation of the charging infrastructure with the management of Spedition Gschwander. 

Together with the energy company Badenova from Freiburg, Spedition Gschwander has already implemented the complex issue of power supply at five locations. Two of the seven Alpitronic Hyc 400 charging stations, each with a peak output of 400 kW, are located at the company’s headquarters in Teningen, two in Dotternhausen (Zollernalbkreis) and three more at various customers in Baden-Württemberg. “Our decentralized charging network gives us the flexibility to charge on the road along fixed routes,“ says Simon Gschwander. Now that Spedition Gschwander has the charging infrastructure in place, the next step is to generate its own green electricity. A photovoltaic system with a peak output of 600 kW will be installed on the roof of the warehouse. The company’s managers would then like to buffer the electricity in a storage unit so that the eActros 600 can be charged with green electricity even when the sun is not shining.

State subsidy for heavy-duty commercial vehicles with alternative drives

The electrification and decarbonization of Spedition Gschwander's bulk goods transport has received funding by the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport with a total of over 2.4 million euros as a part of the “Guideline for the Funding of Commercial Vehicles with Alternative, Climate-Friendly Drivetrains and the Associated Refuelling and Charging Infrastructure“ (KsNI guideline). This also includes funding for the development of charging infrastructure, which is provided as part of the German Recovery and Resilience Plan (DARP) via the European Recovery and Resilience Facility (ARF) in the NextGenerationEU program. The funding guideline is coordinated by NOW GmbH and applications are approved by the Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility (BALM).

About Spedition Gschwander

August Gschwander Transport GmbH has more than 200 employees. The company’s specialty is silo transport for the construction, food and animal feed industries. In addition, the company offers special transportation services with dump trucks and moving floor trailers. A smaller part of the turnover comes from curtainsiders and logistics activities on a total area of 5,000 square meters. The company was founded in 1969 by August Gschwander. Andreas August Gschwander and Andreas Gschwander are the second and third generation to run the company. The history of the entrepreneurial family can be traced back more than 500 years and has always been related to the transportation of goods. The fleet consists of approximately 180 tractor units and 220 towed units. The company handles around 85 percent, and therefore the majority, of its transports itself.