eTransport recognised as Green Truck Innovation 2017

• Trade journal VerkehrsRundschau awards prize for BPW’s zero-emission electric axle drive
• eTransport judged the best implemented innovation for environment-friendly trucks
• Annual awards for most pro-environmental technical solutions and commercial vehicles

Wiehl, 06.04.2017 --- The panel of experts were clearly impressed by the zero-emission electric axle drive eTransport presented by BPW Bergische Achsen. Following their appraisal, the trade journal VerkehrsRundschau awarded BPW its Green Truck Innovation 2017 prize for this intelligent electric solution to inner city traffic problems. The prize recognises technical solutions that reduce the burden imposed on the environment by commercial vehicles. The judges evaluate the innovations’ ability demonstrably to reduce air pollutant, greenhouse gas or noise emissions, and assess their practicability.

“Electric drives hold the key to the future of inner city transport,” says Ralf Merkelbach, BPW’s senior key account manager for large fleets in Europe. The company was presented with the award in Mainz on 5 April. Merkelbach insists that BPW is ideally qualified to overcome the particular challenges presented by delivery traffic in city centres, “Motorists generally think of electric drives as alternatives to the internal combustion engine, but BPW adopts a fresh approach by placing the axle and running gear at the heart of a new drive concept. By delivering outstanding driving performance and manoeuvrability without adding to the vehicle’s weight or giving over cargo space to batteries, eTransport has the potential to revolutionise urban transportation.”

BPW first presented eTransport at the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2016 fair, alongside ePower, a trailer system that recovers energy by way of hub generators. Both solutions are seeking to shape the future of transportation with electric power. According to Merkelbach, “The feedback was overwhelming and gives us a further incentive to maintain a strong active interest in this field.”

eTransport was developed as an axle with integrated electric drive for distribution vehicles. The unit, comprising an axle, electric drive and energy accumulator, can be integrated in a wide variety of vehicle models. It can be retrofitted to existing fleets and supplied as an OEM system for new vehicles. The drive is emission-free and recovers braking energy. Active steering assistance ensures especially good manoeuvrability, which makes eTransport an interesting proposition for the final delivery stage in particular. Charging can take place overnight within a few hours and is sufficient for at least one day’s driving in an inner city goods distribution environment.

VerkehrsRundschau is a weekly trade journal for the goods transport and logistics segments, and is published by H. Vogel. It awards prizes for the most environment-friendly green trucks, vans and light trucks together with its sister publication Trucker and with additional support from ZF Friedrichshafen, the global leader in driveline and chassis technology. Fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions data are among the indicators referenced when the environmental credentials of the tractor units, vans and pickups are being assessed. The data are collected during vehicle tests conducted by an independent authority. The panel of experts awarded green truck innovation and green truck future innovation prizes for the first time in 2016.