Mobile overnight charging: a depot solution without fixed infrastructure

The vehicle, an adapted Iveco S-eWay Rigid built for swap-body work, will operate from Gruber Logistics’ Bologna site in the company’s less-than-truckload, groupage and partial-load network, where daily work is expected to cover 200–250km. Rather than relying solely on fixed, high-power depot infrastructure, the truck will be charged overnight via a mobile unit connected to the warehouse.

The charging model is the central operational detail: the mobile charger at Bologna connects to the Gruber Logistics warehouse through a dedicated 63A power connection, with a typical charging session expected to take around eight hours at night. That allows the vehicle to recharge during depot downtime before returning to daily operation.

The set-up gives the trial a practical infrastructure angle: whether an electric rigid can be integrated into daily groupage operations using overnight mobile depot charging before more permanent high-power infrastructure is fully in place. Charging performance will also be monitored during the trial, making the mobile depot set-up part of the demonstration rather than just supporting equipment.

However, public charging will remain part of the operating plan: a public charging station at the local freight village will serve as a back-up and for higher-power top-ups, while longer interregional trips will require a daytime public charging stop en route.

The prototype is derived from the Iveco S-eWay Rigid series and has been adapted for longer routes, using swap bodies rather than semi-trailers. It features an extended frame and tailored subframe for Gruber’s operational requirements, along with additional cab insulation, rear cameras and HMI functions designed to support route planning and energy optimisation.

Battery capacity stands at 300kWh usable across five units, with power delivered via an FPT eAxle rated at 480kW. Iveco rates the vehicle’s range at up to 400km. In swap-body configuration without a trailer, maximum payload is around 18 tonnes; adding a second swap body and trailer brings a further six tonnes of capacity.

On the economics, Gruber said battery-electric trucks currently cost more than equivalent diesel vehicles, adding that the transition to zero-emission transport “was never expected to be cost-neutral from the outset”. The company expects the gap to narrow as production volumes rise, battery costs fall and charging infrastructure expands.

The trial is part of the EU-funded EMPOWER project, coordinated by AIT Austrian Institute of Technology. Customers are expected to join the Gruber trial after the initial testing phase, with some agreements already in place.