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Swiss Recycling Expert Schneider Umweltservice uses Kempower technology to power its sustainable e-truck fleet

Swiss recycling company Schneider Umweltservice (Environmental Service) is introducing its electric truck fleet to support the decarbonization of its production processes and take a significant step towards a sustainable and low-emission future. As part of this, the fleet was expanded to seven electric trucks in 2024, which are used for waste and recyclables disposal for commercial and industrial customers in the greater Zurich area. This corresponds to 20 percent of Schneider Umweltservice’s total fleet, which is now focusing on electromobility. A further 36 e-trucks are planned by 2026.

The successful implementation of this project was made possible by forward-looking planning and a partnership with Kempower, a leading provider of fast-charging infrastructure solutions. Kempower is working closely with its partner Scania Schweiz AG to implement the project.

Optimized charging infrastructure for an efficient e-truck fleet

The electrification of the truck fleet places high demands on the charging infrastructure. It must not only be reliable and efficient, but also flexible enough to meet the different charging requirements of the trucks. This is why Schneider Umweltservice opted for Kempower’s charging solutions.

Philipp Oppolzer, Regional Business Development Director in Central Europe, Kempower, explains: “In order to benefit from the electrification of trucks as quickly as possible, the charging infrastructure must also be correctly dimensioned. This must be optimized in terms of battery capacity, the maximum charging current of the vehicles and the power actually required for the round trip. With intelligent dynamic power distribution as offered by Kempower, smaller power units and power connections than usual are used, which has a significant impact on and running costs.”

Efficient charging management for a sustainable fleet

Schneider Umweltservice now uses the e-trucks throughout the canton of Zurich and parts of central Switzerland. In Mönchaltorf, the installed charging station with a total of four Kempower satellites, each with two charging points, offers a total output of 380 kW. The Volketswil site is even bigger than that: 16 charging points with 160 kW each and therefore a total output of 800 kW are now installed here. The charging parks are designed in such a way that they can be expanded if necessary – corresponding preparations such as empty conduits and foundations have already been laid.

The cloud-based charging management system Kempower ChargEye is also being used. This system makes it possible to monitor the e-trucks’ charging status in real time and dynamically adjust the power distribution. This ensures that the vehicles are optimally charged. Sabrina Huber, Environmental Engineer at Schneider Umweltservice, says:

The software allows us to track the charging process in detail: from charging progress to any charging errors. In this way, we can react quickly if there is an error during loading, for example. We are now also able to regulate power utilization. This means that the charging points provide the necessary power evenly throughout the night. This prevents a peak if five drivers connect their e-truck to the power supply at the same time.”



Vision 2028: Fully electric transportation

Schneider Umweltservice is pursuing a comprehensive sustainability strategy in which e-mobility is an important goal: by 2028, 90 percent of transport tasks are to be carried out purely electrically. To achieve this, the company is planning to continuously electrify its fleet of trucks. “While our customers benefit from almost silent waste collection due to our e-trucks, we are also meeting the requirements of the future: not only are we reducing CO₂ emissions, we are also producing the electricity for our vehicles ourselves. We are also going one step further and now also have electrically powered sorting excavators in Volketswil, Rotholz and Perlen,” says Sabrina Huber.

The energy for the electric vehicles and the charging infrastructure comes from the company’s own photovoltaic systems. At the Volketswil site, more than 4,000 solar modules generate over 1.6 million kWh of sustainable electricity every year. In this way, Schneider Umweltservice not only reduces its carbon footprint, but also strengthens the company’s energy independence.

Schneider Umweltservice is also planning to expand electromobility at other locations. Further charging parks are to launch n in Perlen and Chrüzegg this year, followed by Regensdorf and Adliswil next year.

Low-emission transportation in the greater Zurich area

The success of Umweltservice Schneider’s e-truck fleet shows how the transition to electromobility can be implemented efficiently and effectively through careful planning and the use of modern, intelligent charging infrastructure. “The switch to electric trucks is a significant step towards a more sustainable future. We are proud not only to reduce our CO₂ emissions, but also to actively contribute to the energy transition by producing the electricity for our fleet ourselves,” states Sabrina Huber, Environmental Engineer at Schneider Umweltservice.