While companies like Tesla are still building prototypes, Ford has already begun full-fledged production of electric trucks. Ford has partnered with DHL for zero-emission vehicles and has come out with its first electric truck - the StreetScooter WORK XL. These trucks could change the whole short-range delivery industry!

The Future Is Now

According to a report by Electrek, production of the Ford-DHL StreetScooter has started in Germany. It has a battery capacity of up to 76 kWh with a range of 124 miles. The factory in Cologne, Germany has a capacity of 3,500 such trucks a year which should serve to put a pretty big dent in oil demand. We all know the fuel economy of the diesel trucks and that these things spend a lot more time on the road than an average family would, it will be game-changing.

Moving from diesel trucks to electric trucks will have a huge impact on the consumption of oil. Given that trucks cover long distances every day, the environmental benefits will be enormous. The electric truck transport industry is booming at an alarming rate, and there have been a lot of announcements about this lately. Tesla has invested in its electric Semi. Then there’s Ikea planning a 100% zero emission delivery fleet by 2025. In the U.K., 16 of the largest van fleets have gotten together to form a syndicate and plan for large-scale electrification.

What They Had To Say?

Joerg Beyer, Managing Director of Product Development, Ford Europe said, “Manufacturing the StreetScooter WORK XL at our plant in Cologne brings together perfectly Ford’s unrivaled expertise in commercial vehicle production along with StreetScooter’s strengths as an agile start-up company.”

CEO and founder of StreetScooter, Dr. Achim Kampker said, “With Ford, we have found the ideal partner who understands our flexible and customer-oriented way of production. Together, we are promoting electromobility in Germany and making inner‑city delivery traffic more environmentally friendly and quieter. With the new WORK XL StreetScooter, we now have the perfect e-van for parcel delivery in metropolitan areas, which in the future will also benefit other transport companies,”

Our Take

Like I mentioned earlier, a move like this will change things in the heavy-vehicle industry. Although the major onus has been on electrifying passenger vehicles, the process in the trucks industry will have bigger and quicker ramifications. So, it would be interesting to see if other logistics companies pitch into this or not. On the other hand, the StreetScooter has a mere range of 124 miles, which is less than the daily average a truck covers every day. Will this affect the delivery timelines and overall efficiency? How well do you think the StreetScooter will fare? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2019 Tesla Semi.