License to Power
The DEKRA Academy in Denmark has invested in the future: ten new electric trucks and three electric buses have been available nationwide for the education and training of professional drivers since March 2024. DEKRA ONE took a close look at the sustainability site in Brabrand.
Nothing but silence. That’s the first impression you get when you take a seat in the cab of an electric truck. Only the ventilation can be heard. Perhaps it is even a little quieter than in an electric car. The broad grin on the face of Mads the DEKRA instructor in the driver’s seat, refuses to disappear. The Volvo Electric FH starts up silently and rolls out of the yard at the academy site. “The main difference to conventional trucks is the lack of engine noise,ʺ says Mads, “and, of course, the fact that all 666 hp are available immediately. You have to be a little more sensitive with the accelerator pedal.ʺ
Normal driving experience without loss of power
The 49-year-old confidently maneuvers the 18-tonne vehicle around the block before driving back onto the DEKRA site. “Most truck drivers, even the most skeptical among them, only have one word for the driving experience: ‘Wow!’” he reports from his practical experience. There, the myth that the 450 kWh battery quickly runs out of power when carrying a trailer was also debunked: “The Volvo can load up to 40 tonnes and the driving experience on the road is no different to that of a diesel truck,ʺ says the driving instructor. After about 300 kilometers, however, he has to go to a charging station.
Most truck drivers, even the most skeptical among them, only have one word for the driving experience: ‘Wow!’
DEKRA Trainer Mads Ulrich
Fully charged after four hours
This is more than sufficient for operation as a training vehicle, as there are usually no long-distance journeys and the truck can be charged during the night. Three smart chargers are available for this purpose at the Brabrand site, as Philip Steiner, Regional Sustainability Manager for the Northwest Europe region, explains during the tour. “The current AC chargers need around eleven hours to do this; with the DC chargers already planned, the Volvos will be fully charged after just four hours. We have had empty conduits laid around the entire site for the installation of further charging stations, including for the cars of our colleagues and course participants.ʺ
The difference to diesel trucks
The training to become a commercial truck driver, known in Denmark as “Arbejdsmarkedsuddanelserʺ or “AMU-Kurserʺ for short, lasts six weeks; theory and practice alternate. An additional four-week qualification entitles drivers to operate trailers. “It’s a great advantage if we can offer electric trucks as training vehicles in addition to conventionally powered trucks,ʺ says Steiner. However, the difference in training compared to diesel trucks is not very great: it is limited to instruction on how the electricity gets from the charging station to the battery. Course participant Jens is currently familiarizing himself with this. He himself is a driving instructor with his own driving school and would like to extend his license. “More and more customers are demanding knowledge about electric vehicles,ʺ he says. “This includes catering companies and food retailers, as they will soon only be allowed to drive into city centers with electric vehicles for environmental and noise protection reasons.ʺ
Almost silently on the roads
However, driving instructor Mads teaches the rest of the practical training independently of the vehicle drive. For example, how to couple a trailer. Gabriel is learning how to maneuver his towing vehicle backward as close as possible to the trailer so that he can then hitch it up. Considering that this is only the second day of his practical training, the Romanian is doing the job routinely. “I have confidence in myself,ʺ he says enthusiastically. “Trucks are my passion!ʺ The young man raves about his first drive in an electric truck and hopes to get a job with his license: “It’s incredibly reassuring to glide almost silently over the road.ʺ
Conveying a positive attitude
The range of participants in the driver training courses is wide, as Mads, who himself drove trucks for 15 years, explains. “Around half come from haulage companies, the other half from the job center. But then we also have people who come on their own account – like Gabriel. I would say that truck drivers tend to be conservative and already have their reservations about electrically powered vehicles. For example, that they would be dangerous or not powerful enough. My job is also to give them a positive attitude toward the change. Admittedly, the trucks make it easy for me in this respect. So far, everyone has been enthusiastic.ʺ
Wide course range for everyone
In addition to driver training, DEKRA also offers forklift courses at the Brabrand site. A dedicated training hall is available for this purpose, where things get busy all day long. Up to seven forklift trucks, some electric and some gas-powered, maneuver in an area of around 1,000 square meters. The drivers have to complete various exercises, such as transporting pallets with crates of drinks from one rack to another past the other forklift trucks, sometimes over ramps and past barrier bollards and other obstacles. In addition, nine other training participants receive instruction in load securing.
The all-round training package
There are also training rooms for theory lessons for truck drivers and forklift drivers at the site, as well as a vehicle testing station for trucks, cars, and motorcycles. The highlight of the branch, however, is the break and recreation room, which is very inviting with its greenery, a generous glass front, and a high ceiling. “Thanks to the plants and a sophisticated lighting concept, we have made the space friendly and open,ʺ says Steiner. “Especially during the long and dark winter phase, we hope to create a positive atmosphere among the participants and our teaching staff.ʺ