The eEconic is transforming waste disposal in the Dutch province of Zeeland.

In the picturesque coastal region of Zeeland, nature and sustainable living come together in harmony. That is why the Dutch province is also the origin of a small revolution: the unstoppable advance towards a cleaner future is being made quietly and with zero emissions – thanks to the eEconic from Daimler Truck. Wielemaker BV, a haulage and container company based in Middelburg, is the first service provider in the Netherlands to use the fully electric truck for waste collection.

Well thought-out.

At 7:00 a.m., the orange eEconic drives onto the yard, battery charged and ready to start its shift. The truck features the wielemaker logo, a leaf and a green battery charge indicator to show that the company's values and a green future really do go hand-in-hand. The company's acquisition of the eEconic is a proactive measure ahead of the zero-emissions policy that Dutch municipalities are set to introduce in town and city centres in the years ahead. Developed from scratch as an electric vehicle, the eEconic enables the service provider to collect waste in inhabited areas without producing any local emissions. "With an impressive range of 250 to 300 kilometres per battery charge*," says Wielemaker BV.

Impressive.

Technical Manager Jasper Wielemaker explains: "in practice, the eEconic's range proves to be even greater than the distance that our diesel refuse collection vehicles cover every day." So, after around three months of use, it can be safely said that the company's overall conclusion is that it is not just happy with the vehicle, but thoroughly impressed by it. Jasper Wielemaker continues: "after the acquisition, we first took short trips and wanted to find out how reliable the technology is – how far can we really get with a full battery? It did not take long for the eEconic to win us over."

The electric experiment proved to be a complete success and the eEconic became the new star in the fleet: its work area has now been expanded and the electric truck has been included in the current timetables. The vehicle can now be seen throughout the province, even on the other side of the 6.6 km-long Westerschelde tunnel.

Relaxed working.

It operates quietly, cleanly and with a long range. The eEconic also offers numerous other advantages such as low entry, great all-round visibility, innovative safety systems – and relaxed working conditions. Employees at the wheel of the eEconic every working day feed back extremely positive things to their boss. Jasper Wielemaker quotes one of his drivers, who called him and thanked him with the words: "what a wonderful piece of kit you have bought! No vibrations when accelerating, no noises from the diesel engine. This makes it ideal to get the job done. I now come home every evening and feel much more relaxed." Wielemaker BV has invested in a locally emission-free vehicle while also creating pleasant working conditions for its staff.

Structuring sustainably.

The eEconic can be charged "at base", because Wielemaker BV has its own charging infrastructure: with a 120 kW charger, it is possible to charge two vehicles at the same time and even more space for electric vehicles from Daimler Truck has already been created. Japser Wielemaker explains: "we are currently using an eActros with hook lift on loan from Daimler Truck Netherlands. Our colleagues are therefore gaining practical experience with it." Here, too, the truck received praise across the board, as it fits perfectly into the schedules and copes excellently with the workload. For the company, this means: "the experimentation phase is definitely over. Electrification is now becoming standard for us in every investment we make in our fleet."

Daimler Truck and its partners as reliable businesses.

The switch to electric drives requires not only innovations and infrastructure, but also strong partners. In this context, Jasper Wielemaker praised the close cooperation with Daimler Truck Netherlands and the responsible dealer Louwman. The ongoing dialogue and commitment of both sides has made the transition process much easier: "Richard Bos, our contact partner at Daimler Truck Netherlands, will soon be accompanying our driver for a day to experience the eEconic in action. Great!"

This just goes to show why Wielemaker BV has counted on Mercedes-Benz vehicles for so long – today the fleet comprises around 70 Mercedes-Benz vehicles representing our company. Combined with their wide range of services and sustainable pioneering spirit, the Dutch are well positioned to lead the energy transformation in the waste disposal sector. The future of waste disposal is green, orange, electric – and neatly planned.