In Karlsruhe, waste and bulky-waste collection is to be carried out with low noise and low emissions. The so-called “Team Clean Karlsruhe” (TSK) recently received seven new electric waste-collection vehicles of the Mercedes-Benz eEconic type.
A follow-on order for eleven more identical vehicles is already in place. Together with Mercedes-Benz Trucks eConsulting and S&G Automobil AG, suitable deployment concepts for the city area have been developed and the appropriate charging infrastructure installed.
With Faun bodies
The seven fully electric vehicles have been in operation throughout Karlsruhe's city area since the end of September 2025 — in residual waste collection, paper collection, and bulky-waste collection.
The rear-loading vehicles are equipped with Faun Umwelttechnik bodies — five of the eEconic with a Variopress 524 HK body with Faun X-Tipping. This should enable flexible use for recyclable and waste materials. Two of the vehicles are equipped with a Powerpress 524H body. This is specifically designed for the requirements of bulky-waste collection.
Three battery packs
On average, the trucks travel about 80 kilometers
per day, in some cases more than 100 kilometers, according to the manufacturer. Three on-board battery packs, each with 112 kWh installed and around 97 kWh usable capacity, are intended to ensure that all tours can be carried out in a single-shift operation without intermediate charging.
Typically, the collection routes involve short distances with many braking events. When collecting waste in stop-and-go operation, with anticipatory driving, electrical energy can be recovered through recuperation — which in turn increases the range.
Thus, even after intensive workdays, a remaining range would typically be preserved. This is often also sufficient for a complete second deployment day. Standard equipment includes the Multimedia Cockpit Interactive, which should provide information on battery status, energy consumption, and remaining range.
Shift to alternative drivetrains
The first fully electric waste-collection vehicle was handed over in September 2025. According to a consumption measurement conducted over more than a week, the vehicle covered around 80 kilometers on its daily route to bulky-waste disposal with around 60 stops. The consumption amounted
to about 35 percent of the battery capacity.
Each eEconic could save between 150 and 170 tons of CO₂ per year, depending on the deployment area. In total, an annual potential saving of around 1,200 tons of CO₂ would be possible, according to the manufacturer.
In early November 2025, the eleven additional eEconic waste-collection vehicles were ordered - in Low-Entry construction. The municipal fleet is to be fully converted to alternative drives by 2035 — with the exception of a reserve for emergencies.
Charging infrastructure
Based on the jointly developed charging infrastructure concept, further optimizations of the ecosystem, such as the use of a battery storage system or smart charging at dynamic electricity prices, are possible in the future.
At the depot a decentralized “satellite charging system” with two power units of 400 kW each has been installed. These are to supply a total of eight wall-mounted charging points at 100 kilowatts each.
Separate Power-Units convert alternating current into direct current and are intended to provide the direct current
voltage required for the vehicle batteries. Subsequently, the generated DC power will be transmitted to the charging boxes in the vehicle hall.
An energy management system is intended to help avoid voltage peaks in the power grid and to be able to prioritize the charging of individual vehicles — so that the corresponding waste-collection vehicles are sufficiently charged for the respective route at the planned deployment time.
Also planned is the installation of a photovoltaic system to charge the vehicles with self-generated solar power.The “Team Clean Karlsruhe” will be accompanied over a period of three years by Mercedes-Benz Trucks and the dealer S&G Automobil AG in implementing the electrification.
KsNI funding
To test the practicality of the alternative propulsion in waste-collection traffic, a test vehicle was used between August 2024 and September 2025.
The procurement of the electric vehicles was funded under the Directive on the Promotion of Light and Heavy Commercial Vehicles with Alternative, Climate-friendly Drives and the associated Tank- and Charging Infrastructure (KsNI) by the Federal Ministry
