Futuricum delivers 3 concrete mixer e-trucks to Holcim

Designwerk has delivered three electric concrete mixer trucks to Holcim Switzerland under the Futuricum commercial vehicle brand. In the Futuricum Concrete 40E, both the drive motor and the mixing drums are fully electrically operated.

We already reported on the development of the electric concrete truck mixer by Designwerk together with a superstructure by Liebherr in March 2020. The technical data are more or less the same: two batteries of 170 kWh each result in a total capacity of 340 kWh, the drive power of the five-axle truck is 500 kW. What is new, however, is the sales designation: instead of ETM 1005 and ETM 1205 (in reference to the ten or twelve cubic metre drum), the vehicle is now called “Concrete 40E” – in reference to the total weight of the 40-tonne vehicle. The basic chassis is a Volvo FM, Futuricum states the payload to be 22 tonnes.

According to the manufacturer, the batteries installed should provide enough power for a day’s work on the construction site – with up to 380 kilometres, several trips between the concrete plant and the construction site should also be possible. Customers can choose between three battery options: Small with 170 kWh, Medium with 255 kWh (1x 170 kWh + 85 kWh) and Large with the aforementioned 340 kWh.

The batteries are then to be “charged overnight with electricity from renewable energy sources”. Alternatively, a somewhat faster intermediate charge is also possible: the DC charging power is specified as up to 175 kW, the AC charging power is 22 kW. A 44 kW on-board charger is also available as an option. Depending on the battery size, the charging time with direct current is between 1.3 and 2.2 hours on 80 percent SoC, with alternating current the manufacturer specifies between 7.5 and 15 hours – but here on 100 per cent.

According to Designwerk, electric concrete mixers are particularly suitable for use in construction logistics because the transport routes are short and the starting points are fixed. In addition, “they allow faster, low-noise acceleration and further reduce energy consumption by recovering braking energy”. And, of course, the vehicles are quieter when the wheels and drum are electrically driven.

“We are looking forward to seeing how the concrete truck mixers prove themselves in daily use,” says Futuricum sales manager Bernhard Kunz. “Thanks to the continuing cooperation with Holcim Switzerland and our partnership with Avesco AG and Liebherr-Baumaschinen AG, experience values can be gathered quickly for the continuous further development of the E truck mixers.”

designwerk.com (in German)