CityFreighter CF1

E-commerce in the United States was expected to grow from $505 billion in 2018 to $735 billion in 2023, creating a huge demand for environmentally friendly vehicles to deliver all these products to customers.

In 2019, CityFreighter unveiled its first prototype, the CF1 electric truck. It is an ultra-low-floor medium-duty last-mile delivery van featuring a keyless entry system and a modern design. The CF1 is also equipped with a Tesla-style navigation screen. The truck has a payload capacity of 2.4 tonnes, a GVW of 5 tonnes, and a range of 100 miles (160 km).

“It isn’t simply enough to change the combustion engine and put in an electric motor,” said Michael Schoening, president of the clean-tech startup CityFreighter. “Nobody is buying an electric truck because it’s electric. You have to show that you’re saving operating costs, so one of our main focuses is a very driver- and customer-oriented design.”

According to Schoening, delivery workers spend a significant amount of time loading and unloading goods using a special lift, which is necessary because the truck’s floor is too high. The electro-pneumatic suspension allows the CF1 to lower itself to the minimum height automatically. In the lowered position, the loading height is just 17 inches (430 mm), compared with 21 inches (530 mm) for the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.