VDA Logistics Award bestowed on Daimler Truck AG for the "Electrify Inbound Logistics" concept

This year, the renowned Logistics Award from the Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) is bestowed on Mercedes-Benz Trucks, a segment of Daimler Truck AG. At the Forum Automotive Logistics (FAL) in Dresden, jury chair Julia Arlinghaus awarded the coveted trophy to the company, which convinced the jury with its "Electrify Inbound Logistics" concept. The VDA Logistics Award annually recognizes outstanding logistics solutions that serve as a model for other companies in the automotive industry.

VDA Managing Director Dr. Marcus Bollig: "The logistics industry has been exposed to a wide range of stress factors for many years. But the German automotive industry has once again proven that it is capable of top performance even under the most difficult conditions - and that it considers sustainability down to the last detail. I warmly congratulate you on this success!"

Winning concept: Daimler Truck AG – Electrification of delivery traffic to production plants

By awarding the "Electrify Inbound Logistics" project, the jury recognizes the commitment of the interdisciplinary project team for its approach to relying on electric trucks in its own supply chain and thus locally ensuring zero emissions.

With its four production sites in Gaggenau, Kassel, Mannheim, and Wörth, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is pursuing the goal of fully electrifying delivery traffic with production materials under its own freight responsibility. Delivery traffic in Wörth is to be fully electrified by the end of 2026, with the component plants to follow gradually. This will make a significant part of the direct supply chain locally emission-free. Together with freight forwarding partners, the company is working to gradually electrify daily deliveries by means of e-trucks.

The basis for this includes comprehensive route analyses with regard to existing and required charging infrastructure, economic considerations and feasibility analyses using test drives. The aim is to transfer all the jointly gained knowledge into a new, sustainable series production process.

Since the project's start in early 2023, almost 20% of the transports of production materials commissioned directly by Daimler Truck have already been electrified. So far, the battery-electric Mercedes-Benz eActros 300 and 400 have been used for heavy distribution transport on regional routes. This enabled around 2mn kilometers to be driven electrically on around 40 different routes in 2024. The new long-distance electric truck eActros 600 has been in series production at the Wörth assembly plant since the end of 2024 and will in future also enable distances of 500 kilometers without intermediate charging.

The development of the company's own charging infrastructure ensures that freight forwarders can charge their electric trucks during waiting and unloading times. At the Wörth site, for example, 15 charging stations have already been installed and put into operation on the factory premises, including six 400 kW fast charging stations. In the Gaggenau, Kassel and Mannheim plants and in the associated external warehouses, a total of seven charging stations are currently in operation, including five 400 kW fast charging stations. The installation of a further 14 fast charging stations is planned for the current year 2025.