Gruber Logistics, a transportation company based in South Tyrol, is participating in the European program “Zero Emissions flexible vehicle platform with modular powertrains serving the long-haul Freight Eco System” (Zefes). This project, with a budget of 40 million euros, includes forty participants from fourteen different nations. These participants are engaged in developing and deploying battery-powered and hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty trucks for long-distance international travel.
Gruber Logistics is involved in the development and road testing phase of electric vehicles, which will be tested along the main corridors of the Ten-T network. In the early months of 2024, the company began planning its transport and logistics activities, with the first trips expected to start in 2025. These trips will traverse the Italian section of the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor, reaching Austria and Germany through the Brenner Pass.
Since February 2024, Gruber Logistics has been conducting a preliminary data collection phase using diesel trucks, which will conclude before the summer. This will establish a database for future comparative analyses with the new zero-emission vehicles. Among those involved in analyzing the data from Gruber Logistics' Scania trucks along the A22 highway axis are the Fraunhofer Institute, Ricardo, and TNO.
To gather this data, the commercial vehicles are equipped with devices directly connected to the vehicle's engine control unit, allowing for a higher sampling frequency than traditional fleet management systems. The installation and calibration of these devices required the involvement of Scania workshops and Gruber Logistics technicians.