Designwerk electrifies car transport

In close cooperation with Kässbohrer Transport Technik, Designwerk will launch the fully electric car transporter Mid Cab 6x2R on the market from 2023. The vehicle, which will be offered internationally, features a battery capacity of 1,000 kWh and has been on Swiss roads in various models with market-specific dimensions since spring. A press release refers to the "first fully electric vehicle transporter." The electric Car Carrier has been available for order since November 2022 with various trailer and body variants from the manufacturer Kässbohrer. In its largest version, with a battery capacity of 1,000 kWh, the transporter achieves a range of up to 510 kilometers according to the manufacturer. The Mid Cab 6x2R meets all the special requirements of automotive logisticians in this version. The commercial vehicle, based on a Volvo FM basic chassis, allows for a charging capacity of 350 kilowatts, promising short downtimes. According to the manufacturer, the vehicle can be charged from 10 to 80 percent of its battery capacity in under two hours.

The loading solutions developed with cooperation partner Kässbohrer include the integration of the so-called Foldable Platform and a telescopic drawbar designed to ensure flexibility. The four electric drive motors of the tractor unit deliver 500 kilowatts (680 hp) to the road.

Battery packs individually placed

In the model with 1,000 kWh battery capacity, four modular battery packs provide the necessary energy. These can be individually placed when ordering, depending on the application. Thus, there are versions with a base length of 18.75 meters and up to 19.75 meters.

"Depending on the application, we adapt the car carrier to the specific needs of the customers, thus guaranteeing optimal use," promises Markus Erdmann, Product Manager E-Trucks at Designwerk.

The sale of the new model range for the international market started in November. The first deliveries will take place in Germany in 2023. The first automobile logistics companies are already planning to use the fully electric car carrier in spring 2023 – each with versions adapted to their respective application cases. The initiator of the vehicle was the Swiss transport and logistics company Galliker Transport AG, which, in collaboration with Designwerk, started the project in 2022 with a Swiss version with 900 kilowatt hours.

Loading volume varies

The number of cars that fit on the trailer depends on the battery capacity and the position of the batteries mounted on the car transporter. In practice, the battery-electric car transporter is suitable for various applications: For the heavy distribution traffic of the vehicles from the factory to the dealer with eight cars, the model variants with 340 to 500 kWh are designed, which achieve a range of 260 to 300 kilometers. The transport and logistics companies Altmann and Mosolf are planning to use these versions of the Designwerk vehicle transporters.