Activ Cars GmbH, the dedicated-fleet and contract-logistics arm of the Sovereign Group, conducted the pilot with single-axle trailers on electric trucks running regional mixed traffic in Germany.
Over the first four months of everyday regional operation, the skirt has delivered a consistent reduction in energy consumption of 5-7%. That is above the 4-5% Dymaxa typically records on twin- and triple-axle trailers since the Activ Cars e-truck pulls a single-axle trailer, which leaves more exposed underbody for a skirt to cover.
Activ Cars electric truck equipped with a Dymaxa side skirt on a regional route in Germany.
Where fleets usually experience an ROI of below 12 months on diesel trucks, for electric the ROI would be between 2 and 2,5 years. The reason is that electric trucks are 2x more energy efficient than diesel trucks; the price of 1 kWh is only 17% less expensive than the price of 1 kWh of a diesel truck. Although electric trucks have a longer payback period for skirts, they allow fleets to benefit from range extension from day 1 on top of cost savings.
The same amount of saved kWh a month is also 5-7% more range from the same battery: a truck that manages around 300 km between charges gains roughly 20 km, and a regional loop that once needed a mid-shift top-up can start to fit inside a single charge. Fewer stops mean more uptime, more usable payload hours and less pressure on charging infrastructure, which is value a diesel operator cannot capture.
Side skirts are not a new concept, as Activ Cars Manager Operations Tobias Schneider set out on LinkedIn:
“The idea isn’t new. Trailer manufacturers have offered similar systems before, but they never really caught on, presumably because cost, effort and savings simply didn’t add up well enough back then.” — Tobias Schneider, Manager Operations at Activ Cars GmbH
What has changed is the product cost and the ROI for fleets. On an electric truck, where energy is expensive and range is limited, the case is stronger still.
“Today the conditions are different: high energy and fuel prices, a changed policy landscape, and in Dymaxa a start-up that works with a different cost structure.” — Tobias Schneider, Manager Operations at Activ Cars GmbH
Activ Cars electric truck equipped with a Dymaxa side skirt on a regional route in Germany.
Following these results, Activ Cars is extending the trial beyond the electric truck.
“After the first four months, a clear saving is emerging. That’s why the test now continues with diesel trucks and on long-haul.” — Tobias Schneider, Manager Operations at Activ Cars GmbH
Schneider frames the exercise as part of the group’s wider decarbonisation approach.
“This is exactly what we mean by #OurWaytoZero: not just talking about drivetrains and fuels, but working on the other levers too.” — Tobias Schneider, Manager Operations at Activ Cars GmbH
That is the point aerodynamic side skirts make well. Cleaner drivetrains take years and capital to roll out, whereas a skirt that cuts energy and CO₂ on the trailer while the fleet already runs pays for itself while doing it, whether it’s diesel or electric.
ABOUT THE SOVEREIGN GROUP AND ACTIV CARS
The Sovereign Group is a neutral, independent transport and handling specialist for the courier, express and logistics industry, operating over 500 vehicle units. Activ Cars GmbH is the Group’s dedicated-fleet and contract-logistics arm, operating specialised vehicles and dedicated trucks across Europe under the Group’s #OurWaytoZero decarbonisation programme.