Daimler Truck, DHL and hylane form electric truck partnership

During the “transport logistic” trade fair in Munich, Germany, Daimler Truck, logistics provider DHL Group and commercial vehicle rental provider hylane GmbH signed a cooperation agreement centered on fully electric trucks. The electric trucks, which are expected to be delivered by the end of Q2 2026, will be used in DHL’s Post & Parcel Germany division for transport between parcel centers.

Shown: Marc Hitschfeld, COO, Post & Parcel Germany division, DHL Group (seated); Dr. Sara Schiffer, managing director, hylane; and Christian Wilz, chairman of the Management Board of Mercedes-Benz Trucks & FUSO, Daimler Truck Germany. (Photo: Daimler Truck)

Under the agreement, DHL will obtain 30 Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 electric trucks through hylane’s “Transport as a Service model,” with hylane billing DHL based on the actual kilometers driven.

“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,” said Marc Hitschfeld, chief operations officer of the Post & Parcel Germany division of DHL Group. “This underscores our commitment to advancing e-mobility in the transport sector and taking further steps toward zero-emission logistics.”

The Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 offers more than 600 kWh of battery capacity and a range of around 500 km. By recharging during mandatory breaks, distances of over 1,000 km per day are possible, Daimler Truck asserted. The eActros 600 is equipped with batteries based on lithium iron phosphate cell technology (LFP) and features a newly developed electric drive axle.

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.

“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 decarbonizing their transport,” Dr. Sara Schiffer, managing director of hylane, stated. “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.”

Christian Wilz, chairman of the Management Board of Mercedes-Benz Trucks & FUSO at Daimler Truck Germany, added: “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.”