Designwerk and Kässbohrer: First electric car transporter with 1000 kWh for international market

Designwerk Technologies AG, in close cooperation with Kässbohrer Transport Technik GmbH, will be supplying its new car transporter for the international market from next year. It is the first fully electric vehicle transporter with a battery capacity of up to 1000 kilowatt hours. Models with market-specific dimensions have been on Swiss roads since spring 2022.
The electric Car Carrier is available to order with various trailer and body variants from Europe’s leading vehicle transport expert Kässbohrer since November 2022. In the largest version with 1000 kilowatt hours of capacity and a range of up to 510 kilometers, the Mid Cab 6x2R meets all the special requirements of high-performance automotive logistics specialists. The commercial vehicle, built on a Volvo FM base chassis, guarantees short standstill times with a charging power of 350 kilowatts: In less than two hours, the vehicle can be charged to 80 percent battery capacity*. Automobile logistics companies and manufacturers thus benefit from efficient and emission-free delivery and no longer have to rely on fossil fuels.

No emissions and a powerful drive – The Car Carrier, newly designed for international markets, combines the advantages of a CO2-free Designwerk drive with highly efficient cargo space solutions from Kässbohrer. The loading solutions specially developed with the cooperation partner include the integration of the so-called foldable platform and a telescopic traction strut for maximum flexibility. The tractor’s four electric drive motors put 500 kilowatts (680 hp) on the road with more than three times the efficiency of comparable diesel models.

Battery packs can be placed individually depending on the application

In the model with a battery capacity of 1000 kilowatt hours, four modular battery packs provide the required energy. Depending on the application, these can be placed individually when ordering. Thus, there are versions with 18.75 meters and with up to 19.75 meters basic length. “Depending on the application, we adapt the Car Carrier to the customer’s specific needs and thus guarantee optimal use,” says Markus Erdmann, Product Manager e-truck at Designwerk. Sales of the new model range with up to 1000 kWh for the international market started in November. The first deliveries will take place in Germany in 2023. The first automotive logistics companies, such as ARS Altmann AG and Mosolf SE & Co. KG, plan to deploy the all-electric carrier in spring 2023 with versions adapted to their respective use cases. The Swiss transport and logistics company Galliker Transport AG, a pioneer in the field of green logistics, literally got the 2022 project rolling in collaboration with Designwerk with a CH version with 900 kilowatt hours.

Cargo volume varies depending on battery capacity and location of batteries
How many cars fit on the trailer depends on the battery capacity and the position of the batteries attached to the car transporter. In practice, the battery-powered car transporter is suitable for various applications: 340 to 500 kilowatt hours with a range of 260 to 300 kilometers are sufficient for the heavy distribution of vehicles from the factory to the dealer with eight cars. The transport logistics specialists Altmann and Mosolf are planning to use these versions of the Designwerk vehicle transporters. For medium and international routes, Designwerk is positioning itself as a pioneer with the top model with 1000 kilowatt hours of capacity and a unique solution for current challenges such as large electric cars. Seven SUVs can be accommodated on the Kässbohrer articulated truck and can be transported up to 510 kilometers on one battery charge.

Low-noise and emission-free delivery of new vehicles
The battery-electric Designwerk Mid Cab 6x2R is not only more economical over the vehicle’s service life, but also more ecological than equivalent diesel vehicles. According to the holistic cradle-to-grave method and depending on the regional electricity mix, it emits up to 76 percent less CO2 emissions in Switzerland. The CO2 savings in Germany amount to around 46 percent. The all-electric car transporter is quiet and does not pollute the environment with soot particles. The vehicle batteries can be reused as stationary storage units and then recycled. The installed high-voltage battery systems with NMC technology come from Designwerk’s own battery production. They stand out due to their modular design and high energy density in a small space when compared to the competition. Designwerk uses them to electrify a wide variety of commercial vehicles.

*Charge from 10 – 80% SoC