BPW’s electric drive for heavy goods vehicles scoops European Transport Prize for Sustainability

• eTransport delivers power to vehicles with payloads between 5.5 and 26 tonnes
• BPW takes top prize for commercial vehicle components
• Markus Schell expects commercial vehicle segment to fuel electric vehicle take-up
• BPW accomplishes wholesale switch to green electricity and publishes sustainability report

Wiehl, 1.12.2017 --- eTransport, the electric axle drive developed by BPW, is thought to have won more innovation prizes this year than any other concept in its category. BPW has now added the European Transport Prize for Sustainability to its trophy cabinet. The company ranks among the heavyweights in the true sense of the word, not only in view of its multiple awards. Unlike most of the concepts considered by the jury, BPW is targeting HGVs with payloads in the range from 5.5 to 26 tonnes.

Their inherent benefits are shining the spotlight on electric drives, especially since sustainability is currently high on the agenda of the transport and logistics industries. They are quiet, clean and rugged, require very little maintenance, and therefore offer compelling efficiency benefits in congested city centres and conurbations. Whereas most drive concepts are intended for light vans capable of carrying up to 3.5 tonnes, BPW has developed its electric drive axle to address the needs of the sizeable 5.5 to 26-tonne segment. It was this ambition that helped persuade the panel that awards the European Transport Prize for Sustainability to select BPW for the top prize in the category commercial vehicle components.

City cargoes consist of more than parcels
BPW managing general partner Markus Schell, who accepted the award in Munich on behalf of BPW Group, explains, “As a European company we are proud of this accolade, which acknowledges our global influence. The European transport industry has the opportunity to play a pioneering role in electromobility. There’s very little difference between the operating profile of a car, which is on the move for barely 30 minutes a day on average, and that of a van, which spends the whole day on city streets. In the city centre delivery environment, both the benefits for man and the environment, and the special efficiency of electric drives can make an impact more quickly and with a longer lasting effect. As online retailing continues to grow, larger payloads are becoming more important, especially since city cargoes consist of more than just small parcels. A van equipped with the eTransport solution can carry bulk goods, such as washing machines and bottle crates. Many tradesmen also need a vehicle that is capable of transporting and withstanding heavy loads. This e-drive concept puts BPW in the forefront.”

BPW has now scooped the European Transport Prize for Sustainability for the second year in succession. In 2016 it was recognised for its air-sprung running gear study ECO Vision, in which the entire axle beam, including the trailing arm, is constructed from a glass fibre-reinforced composite. This year the electric axle drive eTransport has already won the Energy Award, KEP Innovation Prize, second place in the international GreenTec Awards, and the Green Truck Innovation 2017 Prize.

BPW switches wholesale to green electricity – commitment to sustainable business management
Sustainability is a key aspect of business for the BPW management team as well. For some time now the family-owned company has been generating a portion of the electricity it consumes at headquarters by way of solar panels and a hydropower plant. Since the summer, the remaining portion has likewise been generated from renewables with a guarantee of origin. BPW also published its inaugural sustainability report in compliance with the United Nations Global Compact this summer. It is available for viewing on the BPW website.

In his foreword, Achim Kotz, another of BPW’s managing general partners, stresses the importance of continuity in the family business, which began producing patent axles for carriages and carts in 1898. The axles spared vehicle operators the daily task of lubricating with cart grease, which in turn saved time, effort, and resources. Nowadays BPW employs more than6,900 people worldwide. “Our goal of enabling vehicle manufacturers and operators to achieve the highest level of innovation, efficiency, safety and profitability in transport has remained unchanged for almost 120 years. For generations, BPW has been pursuing the principles of ‘sustainability’ and ‘corporate responsibility’ that are now very familiar. Our values are reflected in our strategies, products and services, and they provide us with guidance in a time of change.”