Cabot completes 'zero-carbon' delivery with electric truck

BERLIN—Cabot Corp. has completed one of Europe's first cross-border transports using a heavy-duty, zero-emissions electric truck, the company announced Dec. 15.

For the delivery, from the Dutch port of Rotterdam to Antwerp, Belgium, digital road freight forwarder Sennder Gmbh transported over 17 metric tons of carbon black product for Cabot.

The pilot project was conducted to test the long-term capabilities of 40-plus-ton electric trucks. The round trip, including return to base, covered a distance of more than 186 miles (300 kilometers).

Breytner, an operator of zero-emission electric trucks, in association with JV partner H.N. Post & Zonen B.V., provided the heavy-duty vehicle, which has a maximum gross vehicle weight of 50 tons and a battery range of 90-plus miles.

The truck ran entirely on electricity, with one charge taking place on the way to the destination and another when returning to base, reported Cabot. Each charge, it noted, took about 80 minutes and occurred in The Netherlands, a country with one of the densest charging networks in the world.

According to Cabot, the pilot project is part of its strategy of engaging with suppliers that offer carbon offsets and sustainable solutions—toward its recently announced goal to achieve net zero emissions globally by 2050.

"We see great potential to help drive toward our net zero ambitions by transforming our transportation fleet to electric and other low carbon vehicles," said Francois Zehr, global logistics director at Cabot.

For Sennder, head of green business Graham Major-Ex said the company is "committed to giving shippers the best low-carbon transportation options in the industry; both advanced fuels and zero-emissions electric vehicles will play key roles in this.

"Some doubted whether fully loaded (40-plus-ton) trucks could travel highway distances on just electricity—we have proven that this is not only possible but something deliverable today."