Holcim Switzerland start deliveries with Hugelshofer Logistik electric truck

A fully-electric truck from Hugelshofer Logistik AG is supplementing Holcim Switzerland’s fleet of electric vehicles and delivering cement quietly and without CO₂ emissions to concrete plants in Thurgau.

Electric mobility is an important step for Holcim Switzerland in the development of its sustainable transport solutions. “Two years ago, Holcim was one of the first building materials manufacturers in Switzerland to put electric mixer trucks on Swiss roads in the regions of Basel, Geneva and north-eastern Switzerland. We are pleased to now be able to rely on electrification for cement transport as a supplement,” says Michael Brogioli, logistics operations manager Switzerland and Haut-Rhin at Holcim Switzerland. Since the end of January, a fully electric truck from Hugelshofer Logistik AG has been delivering Holcim cement to concrete plants on Lake Constance.

Electric trucks represent an important step towards sustainable transport. "The electric propulsion of a truck saves up to 80t of CO₂ per year compared to a diesel truck powered by fossil fuels", says Michael Brogioli. 

Initially, an electric truck of the Volvo FH4x2 production model will be used for customers in eastern Switzerland, with the trips being carried out by Hugelshofer Logistik AG. Further acquisitions are planned with the aim of reducing CO₂ emissions in Holcim's cement logistics by a quarter by 2030. The trucks are equipped with 540kWh batteries and allow an output of 490kW, which corresponds to a reliable range of 300km. With a fast charge of 350kWh, the batteries are fully charged in approximately 90 minutes. 

Holcim Switzerland is working hard on adapting vehicles and machines to forms of electric drive. In addition, the development of rail transport capacities is an integral part of the roadmap towards its objective of net zero CO₂ emissions. Whenever possible, Holcim favors rail transport. Currently, about 30 per cent of cement deliveries are made by rail, which makes it possible to save about 90 per cent CO₂ every year compared to road freight transport. With electric truck trips, Holcim focusses on concrete plants in Switzerland that are not connected to the rail network.