Designwerk presents the first hydraulic launch assist for electric trucks

When the asphalt ends, but not the job

Excavations, forest tracks, landfill sites – even powerful trucks quickly lose grip here. Permanent all-wheel drive is expensive, heavy and inefficient. With the hydraulic launch assist Hydraulic Traction, Designwerk Technologies offers a clever solution for heavy electric trucks that need maximum traction depending on the situation. It also works completely without diesel and exhaust fumes.

In construction logistics, forestry, waste disposal or road maintenance, the same situation occurs every day: vehicles weighing over 18 tons that have to switch reliably between paved roads and difficult surfaces. Whether snow, mud, gravel or steep ramps – it is precisely where the asphalt ends that the pure road drive sooner or later reaches its limits.

The challenge: weight and consumption

There are two different solutions for diesel vehicles: permanent all-wheel drive or hydraulic launch assist.
In addition to the desired grip, permanent all-wheel drive also entails weight, additional consumption and high wear costs. Because full off-road capability is only required in certain situations, this solution is often oversized. This would be a decisive disadvantage for battery-powered trucks, as every kilogram and every kilowatt hour counts. This is precisely where hydraulic starting systems come in. They can be engaged when required, are much lighter in comparison, and are less prone to wear and tear and consume less fuel. The problem is that neither all-wheel drive nor hydraulic launch assist are available for battery-electric heavy goods vehicles. Until now.

Typical applications

• Disposal logistics: Dump trucks at landfills
• Construction logistics: concrete mixer or tipper on the construction site
• Forestry: Transporting timber on forest roads
• Road maintenance: multifunctional vehicles for summer and winter services
• Special logistics: quarries with granite or marble transportation

They all have one thing in common: difficult ground conditions that require high traction at certain points.

The solution: Hydraulic Traction from Designwerk for electric trucks

Designwerk Technologies AG is presenting a unique solution for electric trucks weighing 18 tons or more at this year’s trade fair for commercial vehicles. Together with partners, the Swiss expert for electric trucks in special applications has developed a switchable, hydraulic approach aid for the front wheels of heavy e-trucks.

The system provides traction exactly when it is needed. Without the disadvantages of permanent all-wheel drive.

The effect on operations – more efficiency, lower costs

What counts for operators: maximum availability with minimum operating costs. Designwerk Technologies’ Hydraulic Traction solution ensures that heavy e-trucks are always safe on the road, even in difficult conditions. The system improves starting behavior on snow, mud or gravel and offers full control: even uphill or when reversing. This reduces the risk of downtime or delays on the construction site, in the landfill or in winter service.

Operation is highly efficient: the system provides active support up to around 20 km/h. After that, the electric motor reduces the power and the valve block switches off. The e-truck is once again driven using only the rear wheels without the support of the front wheels. This avoids unnecessary wear and energy consumption. For the operator, this means lower maintenance costs and a longer component service life than with a diesel truck with permanent all-wheel drive

The solution also provides up to 750 kg more payload than an all-wheel drive – an economic advantage that enables additional revenue for every transport operation. With the exceptionally high torque, full performance is guaranteed at all times.
The truck drives into the pit electrically, unloads the material and then returns to the road – effortlessly, with enough traction and efficiently at the same time.

The special features of the Designwerk solution

With Hydraulic Traction, Designwerk offers the first hydraulic launch assist for all-electric trucks, combining sustainability with real practical benefits.

Most Designwerk vehicles can be equipped with the innovative auxiliary drive. Depending on the application and the chassis, battery capacities from 375 to 750 kWh can be installed. In combination with the individual configuration from 2- to 4-axle vehicles, Designwerk Technologies offers solutions for every application with the right range and performance. This provides operators with a complete solution from a single source that is not only technically but also economically convincing: lower operating costs, higher capacity utilization and a significant CO₂ reduction compared to diesel.

This turns a technical solution into a tangible benefit for fleet operators: more control, more payload, lower costs – and all of this electrically, sustainably and reliably.

The technological concept

• At the center is a hydrostatic auxiliary drive with radial piston motor.
• The electronic control system regulates torque, slip and speed.
• The power take-off supplies energy for the hydraulic solution.
• The engine PTO drives the hydraulic pump.

The bottom line

With Hydraulic Traction Designwerk Technologies closes the gap between road and off-road and makes the e-truck fit for applications where previously only a diesel solution was available. The first vehicles with Hydraulic Traction will be delivered in 2025 and open up new applications for sustainable heavy-duty logistics.

Visit us from November 5 to 8, 2025 at transport.ch in Hall 2.2 B014 and get to know our solution for maximum situational traction for heavy electric trucks.

Don’t want to wait until November?

 

 

[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]