DHL, Daimler, hylane form partnership for fully electric trucks

DHL Group, commercial vehicle manufacturer Daimler Truck and commercial vehicle rental provider hylane signed a cooperation agreement for fully electric trucks at the transport logistic trade fair in Munich.

The partnership stipulates that DHL will obtain 30 electric trucks of the type Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 through hylane's Transport as a Service model, says an official release from DHL.

"This means DHL will not purchase the vehicles; instead, hylane will bill DHL based on the actual kilometers driven. The electric trucks are set to be used in the Post & Parcel Germany division for transport between parcel centres."

The trucks are expected to be delivered by the end of the second quarter of 2026. For hylane, the addition of 30 eActros 600 trucks marks a targeted expansion of its existing portfolio, which has so far focused on fuel cell electric trucks. For the three partners, this also represents the largest contract for electric trucks in Germany this year, the release added.

Marc Hitschfeld, Chief Operations Officer, Post & Parcel Germany division, DHL Group says: "We are very pleased with the partnership with hylane and Daimler Truck. This solution provides us with the necessary flexibility to significantly expand our transport fleet with a substantial number of fully electric trucks without a long lead time. This underscores our commitment to advancing e-mobility in the transport sector and taking further steps toward zero-emission logistics."

Christian Wilz, Chairman, Management Board, Mercedes-Benz Trucks & FUSO at Daimler Truck, Germany adds: "With the eActros 600, we are bringing a powerful and highly efficient electric truck to the road, specifically designed for the demands of long-distance transport and which can already be operated economically today. We are very pleased with the close partnership with hylane and DHL as well as the order for 30 vehicles. This is an impressive vote of confidence in our technology and a clear commitment to change. Together, we are making an important contribution to the electrification of long-distance transport, which is responsible for about two-thirds of CO2 emissions in European road freight transport."

Sara Schiffer, Managing Director, hylane says: "The addition of battery-electric trucks to our fleet is an important milestone in the expansion of hylane, allowing us to support our customers even more comprehensively in decarbonising their transport. As a technology-open provider, we consciously focus on battery and hydrogen-powered trucks to offer the best solution depending on the application. Implementing this step together with Daimler Truck as a leading vehicle manufacturer and DHL as the first user of the trucks is particularly valuable for us and a great start into the new business field."

The eActros 600 is equipped with batteries based on durable lithium iron phosphate cell technology (LFP) and features a newly developed electric drive axle. The eActros 600 trucks will complement DHL's sustainable fleet, which already includes 16 electric trucks and 450 CNG trucks in transport as well as 32,400 electric vans for last-mile delivery. Additionally, there is charging infrastructure with 10 CNG fueling stations and 41,000 electric charging points. DHL aims to reduce all emissions to net zero by 2050, with the goal of increasing the share of vehicles in the transport sector using alternative fuels or drives to about 30 percent by 2030, the release added.