Pepper Motion includes Bax from BPW in its program

As part of a long-term cooperation, the truck and trailer components manufacturer Bergische Achsen KG (BPW) and the Baden-Württemberg-based company Pepper Motion, which specializes in the electrification of buses and commercial vehicles, plan to work together. According to Pepper's press release, the goal is to ensure the need for digital services, parts, and electrification solutions in relation to trailers and their connection to tractors. The contract also includes that BPW, as the developer and manufacturer of the 7.5 ton electric truck Bax, immediately transfers its entire business with product responsibility, sales, marketing, and after-sales to Pepper. Additionally, BPW supplies components such as its fully electric eTransport axle to Pepper.

Bax in the Pepper Portfolio

The battery-electric Bax truck was originally developed by BPW as a 7.5-tonner for urban operations. The delivery vehicle has a payload of 3 tons, a battery capacity of up to 126 kWh, and a range of around 200 kilometers - according to Pepper, also sufficient for intercity operations. The electric truck was developed with a flexible chassis architecture that allows different body types for various purposes and reportedly saves weight. Further advantages include the low and compact cabin offering more safety and comfort in the city.

A unique feature of the Bax is that the drive of the electric axle is not located under the hood, as usual, but directly in the axle itself. According to Pepper: "The drive concept is economical and sustainable, highly efficient, quiet, and emission-free, and easy to integrate due to its compact design."

Growth Expected for Electric Trucks

Pepper predicts great success for the "emission-free" 7.5-tonner, which was first introduced in October 2021. So far, the focus of electric commercial vehicles has been on small transporters up to 3.5 tons and trucks larger than 7.5 tons. Vehicles of the "important class of 7.5-ton trucks in their various versions and application scenarios" have hardly been available with alternative drives so far. However, such electric trucks are seen as an important measure to achieve CO2 targets.

Especially for urban transport with usually low range requirements, the vehicles are ideally suited and could quickly decarbonize delivery traffic there, according to the report. The first delivered Bax trucks are already proving their performance in everyday use. The provider expects "double-digit sales with a focus on the German market" by 2024. Since the Bax has EU type approval, the introduction in other markets is also foreseeable, says Pepper.