Käppeli Logistik AG: A Swiss pioneer of electromobility for heavy commercial vehicles plans with Kempower
The electrification of heavy commercial vehicles and their use in everyday needs are an important step towards sustainability. However, an equally important aspect is the provision of the necessary charging infrastructure. Käppeli Logistik AG, in collaboration with Scania Schweiz AG and Kempower, developed an innovative solution and put it into operation within just a few months.
Mike Ritter, managing director of Käppeli Logistik AG in Sargans, recognized early on the importance of electromobility for heavy commercial vehicles. From 2021 onwards, every time a new vehicle was purchased, the options for electric drives were examined and test vehicles were used intensively in order to gain practical experience. Based on this experience, the first Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) were ordered for the fleet and put into operation. A conscious decision was made to use smaller battery capacities in order to ensure sustainability and to test the application limits in regional tipper semi-trailer traffic.
In order to optimally design the use of the first BEV commercial vehicles, Käppeli installed a temporary e-charging infrastructure on the company premises, including its own transformer. As the operating range of the vehicles increased, it became clear that the greatest challenge was not the availability of the electric trucks, but rather the continuous supply of sufficient energy.
Mike Ritter saw this challenge as an opportunity and decided to implement the first public e-truck charging infrastructure in Switzerland. That’s why Käppeli proactively held discussions with BEV vehicle providers and found a committed partner in Scania Schweiz AG. Plans for our own e-truck charging infrastructure were developed together.
In order to benefit from existing experience, the Käppeli Logistik AG team traveled to Södertälje, Sweden, to visit the Scania factory, carry out test drives with a pre-series Scania BEV and visit an e-charging park that has already been implemented. These findings were incorporated into the planning of our own e-truck charging park.
With a total of nine charging points, vehicles can be charged with up to 400kW at each Kempower Satellite. Overall, an impressive total output of up to 2.5 MW is available, which is fed, among other things, by the in-house photovoltaic system. This can be used to charge heavy commercial vehicles in particular, but also delivery vans and cars. Mike Ritter emphasizes:
Kempower’s products fit very well with our understanding of sustainable mobility. We were looking for solutions that enable fast and intelligent charging. Today we can say: we made the right investment.”
Käppeli Logistik AG impressively shows how the challenges of electromobility can be mastered through decisive action and close cooperation with technology partners. By developing its own e-truck charging infrastructure, the company is setting new standards and setting an example for other companies striving for a sustainable future.
