Audi is using trains powered by ‘green’ electricity to transport its now 36-strong model range from its headquarters in Ingolstadt, Germany, to the North Sea loading port of Emden.
The logistics concept is part of the Volkswagen group automaker’s strategy of ensuring that production is sustainable in all areas.
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Logistics chief Ernst-Hermann Krog said: “CO2-free rail transport is an important element of our environmental efforts and is of great interest to us.”
From this month, the company is operating its transport trains on the Ingolstadt – Emden route with electricity from renewable energy sources. This allows CO2 emissions to be reduced by around 5,250 tonnes a year, or more than 35kg (77lb) per car transported.
The line to the North Sea loading port, an export hub, is the brand’s most important transport route. Three car trains travel this route each day and carry roughly 150,000 a year.
The CO2-free rail freight transport concept Eco Plus is a new offer from DB Schenker, the logistics area of German railway operator Deutsche Bahn. The energy required is replaced entirely by renewable energy from Germany. The electricity is bought in additionally by Deutsche Bahn, meaning that emissions are avoided right from the start.
The additional costs incurred compared to conventional electricity are borne by Audi; DB Schenker uses a portion of these for targeted projects in the field of renewable energies. Green electricity only comprises around 18.5% of the German rail electricity mix, with conventional energy sources in the form of coal-fired, nuclear and natural gas-fired power plants currently dominating.
The green electricity required for transport is an additional component fed into the grid for Eco Plus from DB Schenker.
