Electric trucks – already a vital part of Euba Logistic operations

It’s a windy morning in the German town of Angermünde when truck driver Przemyslaw Kaczmarek climbs into one of Euba Logistic’s electric trucks on his way to load 24 tons of wastepaper. The dirt marks on the truck from the muddy November roads are clear proof that electric vehicles have already become a vital part of Euba Logistic operations. 

“We’re beginning to make our business CO₂ neutral, and electric trucks are top of the list for me,” says Ronald Garkisch, as he walks by the charging station located just outside the company’s head office.

Imagine the shape of a hockey stick – that’s how the world market for electric trucks is expected to grow over this decade. Projections in a recent report by the consulting firm Arthur D Little show that 4,000 electric trucks were registered in the EU by the end of 2022. According to the report, that number will grow more than 20-fold by 2025, reaching almost 600,000 units by 2030.

Volvo Trucks intends to be a catalyst for this transition, aiming for 50% of its global sales of new trucks to be electric in 2030. For Ronald Garkisch, waiting is not an option. Adapting the latest technologies and caring for the environment are part of the company philosophy, and he has the full support of his employees, drivers and customers.

“We need to do something. And if we all say ‘let’s wait until the next guy does it’ no one will ever do it. There’d be 1,000 excuses why we can’t do it,” he says.

Founded in West Berlin in 1949, Euba Logistic turns 75 this year. Today, the company has over 100 trucks in operation, a staff exceeding 150 employees and a yearly revenue of some 20 million euros. Angermünde, where it is based, is located in Uckermark, one of Germany’s largest administrative districts. The company transports a wide variety of cargo such as beverages, wood and steel, but the primary business over recent years has been paper, which is transported to paper plants all over Germany. 

As of today, Euba Logistic has six electric trucks in operation. With a plan to add six more in 2024, the company’s transition is being supported by Volvo Financial Services in many ways. One concrete example is VFS taking care of the application process to help secure government funding.

“We were in the lead of the entire application process and even handled the full disbursement process. With respect to the subsidy, Mr. Garkisch’s basically only needed to sign the financing contract with us,” says Steffen Wieners, Sales Manager at Volvo Financial Services, who is working closely with Ronald Garkisch and his team.
 

Ronald Garkisch adds:
 

“Ordering is one thing, but you will also need someone to finance it. Without the support of Volvo, we wouldn’t have been able to do it at all. It goes without saying that you need a family like Volvo and Euba that stands together and has a concept for the future.”

As we pass by one of the corridors at the head office in Angermünde, Ronald Garkisch pauses the discussion to show us a wall adorned with historical posters of the Berlin Wall. He tells stories, points out notable locations on the map and explains that he gives this lesson to more or less everyone who enters the building – whether it’s a visit from the local school or a business contact from abroad. As we reach the final poster, he says:

“I’ll tell you why my heart is so attached to Volvo. When we still had the GDR (East Germany), Volvo was present there, too. I remember the Volvo engines from those days, they had a special sound. I fell in love with that sound, and I’ll never forget it. I still get goose bumps when I think back to the old days.”

But looking back doesn’t stop Ronald Garkisch from being innovative and forward-thinking.

“The only thing you need to let go of is the sound of the Volvo. Now you just hear them hum. But I’m not sad about that,” he concludes.

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