Designwerk Technologies AG wins: Electric revolution for Zurich’s waste disposal system

11.01.2024 – The corks popped at Designwerk at the beginning of the year. With the largest order in the company’s history to date, the Winterthur-based company won the tender from the city of Zurich for 26 all-electric refuse collection vehicles with low-floor cabs. Designwerk was the only supplier to meet the high requirements for the vehicles and beat off the competition. By the end of 2027, 26 Designwerk LOW CABs will be delivered to the Waste Management + Recycling Department of the City of Zurich (ERZ).

The city of Zurich committed itself to a more sustainable vehicle and transport policy back in 2008. This also includes the expansion of electric mobility. The entire ERZ fleet is to be electrically powered by 2032. The decision to procure a further 26 all-electric waste collection vehicles is already a milestone in this regard. The requirements of the tender were high. But this is not new territory for Designwerk. The Swiss manufacturer already has many years of expertise in the field of heavy-duty electric commercial vehicles. with. The many years of experience of the in-house development, design and production teams in the field of heavy-duty electric commercial vehicles have already enabled the Winterthur-based company to set a world range record for e-trucks. “Winning this tender confirms our technological leadership in commercial vehicles, which are not “off-the-shelf” and increasingly stand out from OEM series vehicles. Thanks to our flexibility and our great depth of knowledge and production, we are able to meet the increasingly complex requirements placed on vehicles,” comments Reto Schmid, Sales Manager e-truck Europe South at Designwerk Technologies AG.

Waste collection vehicles have special requirements

The high demands placed on waste vehicles are particularly noticeable in the design of the e-trucks. In order to meet the special challenges of narrow road traffic, they must have as little edge clearance as possible. This is where the experience of the Swiss electrical pioneer comes in. The unique selling point of the winning vehicle is its short wheelbase of just 3450 millimeters. In urban areas with narrow streets, the short wheelbase with a small turning circle contributes significantly to optimum maneuverability. This is a very important criterion for the successful use of the vehicle, especially in heavily built-up urban zones or in the old town. Despite the short wheelbase and the associated limited space, the LOW CAB Collect 6x2R 450E from Designwerk impresses with its large battery capacity of 450 kilowatt hours. The required battery capacity was designed to ensure all-day operation even after ten years of use and during the cold season without intermediate charging.

Zurich has long been convinced by Designwerk

“For us as an electric pioneer, the result of the tender is a great success. It sends out a clear signal for the future of electromobility in the commercial vehicle sector and is a seamless continuation of our previous efforts,” says Reto Schmid. In addition to the first e-truck in 2020, ten fully electric waste collection vehicles with low-floor cabs from Designwerk were handed over to the city in the course of 2023. Another plus point: the charging infrastructure is already in place on the vehicle. The 26 new e-trucks each have two on-board chargers installed on the vehicle with a total charging capacity of 44 kilowatts (AC). These allow the batteries to be charged overnight with a gentle charging current. Energy consumption is an important criterion for the city of Zurich. Values relating to air pollutants and maintenance costs through to water consumption and the use of raw materials also play a central role in the pursuit of a sustainable transport policy. The City Council is planning a consistent switch to vehicles with alternative drive systems in this area. The LOW CAB Collect 6x2R 450E vehicles from Designwerk will be handed over after completion. All 26 waste disposal vehicles will be delivered to the city of Zurich by the end of 2027.