Continental, DPD Switzerland and Futuricum set electric truck distance World Record
1,099 kilometres in 23 hours and 392 laps, that’s how far the Continental tyres-equipped Futuricum was able to achieve on a single charge (Photo: Continental)
DPD Switzerland, e-truck brand, Futuricum and Continental have set the Guinness World Record for the longest distance covered by an electric truck without a charging stop.
The record was set by a Futuricum truck (a 19-ton converted Volvo FH) and is the fruit of a cooperation that was first publicised nearly two months earlier. In order to propel the truck the 680 hp motor was powered by a battery capacity of 680 kilowatt hours “the largest truck battery in Europe,” explained Adrian Melliger, CEO of Designwerk Products AG, the company behind the Futuricum brand.
Tyre-wise, the three partners opted for the Continental EfficientPro which is designed for particularly low rolling resistance.
“The upturn in electric mobility has put an even greater focus on the importance of particularly rolling resistance optimised tyres,” says Hinnerk Kaiser, Head of Product Development Truck Tyres EMEA of Continental. “Our tyres enable high mileage and extremely low rolling resistance and thus offers the essential characteristics for the economical operation of electrically powered commercial vehicles. The EfficientPro is a tried-and-tested model that has been specially developed for long-distance transportation and focuses on range and low rolling resistance.”
1,099 kilometres in 23 hours and 392 laps
The partners chose the best record conditions on the 2.8-kilometre-long, high-speed oval test track at the Contidrom, Continental’s in-house test centre, near Hanover, Germany. In total, two drivers completed 392 laps in shifts of 4.5 hours each, at an average speed of 50 km/h (31 mph), which is a realistic average value for everyday use. Initially, the weather conditions were not ideal with 14 degrees (57° F) outside temperature and only around 23 degrees (73° F) ground temperature, in addition, the wind blew at an average of 18 km/h (11 mph) with gusts of up to 40 km/h (25 mph). Nevertheless, after just under 23 hours, the partners were able to declare the Guinness World Records™ title of the longest distance covered by an electric truck without a charging stop with 1,099 kilometres driven.
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