The DHL Group, Daimler Truck, and Hylane have signed a cooperation agreement in the field of fully electric trucks at the "transport logistic" fair in Munich.
The partnership envisions DHL sourcing 30 Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 E-trucks through Hylane's "Transport as a Service Model." Hylane will bill DHL based on the actual miles driven. The E-trucks are scheduled for delivery by the end of the second quarter of 2026 and will be used in the Post & Parcel Germany division for transport between parcel centers. Marc Hitschfeld, Chief Operations Officer of the Post & Parcel Germany division of the DHL Group:
"We are very pleased with the partnership with hylane and Daimler Truck. This solution offers us the necessary flexibility to expand our transport fleet with a significant number of fully
electric trucks without a long lead time. This underscores our commitment to advancing e-mobility in the transport sector and taking further steps towards zero-emissions logistics."
For Hylane, the addition of the fleet with 30 eActros 600 marks an expansion of the existing portfolio, which has so far focused on fuel cell electric trucks, it says. Sara Schiffer, Managing Director of Hylane:
"The inclusion of battery-electric trucks in our fleet is an important milestone in the expansion of hylane, allowing us to support our customers even more comprehensively in decarbonizing their transports. As a technology-neutral provider, we consciously rely on battery and hydrogen-powered trucks to offer the best solution depending on the application. Implementing this step together with Daimler Truck as a leading vehicle manufacturer and DHL as the first user
of the trucks is particularly valuable for us and a great start into the new business field."
E-trucks as a component of the KsNI funding programThe E-trucks that DHL will source as part of the partnership are still part of the already expired KsNI funding program (Climate-Friendly Commercial Vehicles and Infrastructure) of the federal government. This aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using alternative drives and fuels in road freight transport. Christian Wilz, Head of the Management Board of Mercedes-Benz Trucks & Fuso at Daimler Truck Germany:
"With the eActros 600, we are bringing a powerful and highly efficient electric truck onto the road, specifically designed for the requirements of long-distance transport and can be operated economically today. We are very pleased with the close partnership with hylane and
DHL and the order of 30 vehicles. This is an impressive vote of confidence in our technology – and a clear commitment to change. Together, we are making an important contribution to the electrification of long-distance transport, which is responsible for around two-thirds of CO₂ emissions in European road freight transport."
The 30 Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 complement the fleet of the logistics provider DHL, which already includes 16 E- and 450 CNG trucks in transport and 32,400 electric transporters for last-mile delivery. Additionally, there is the refueling infrastructure with 10 CNG stations and 41,000 E-charging points. DHL aims to reduce all emissions to net zero by 2050. The share of vehicles in the transport sector with alternative fuels or drives is to be increased to around 30 percent by 2030.
