Under four euros per 100 kilometers
June 26th, 2020
The world is changing and many see the crisis as an opportunity to change mobility behavior. Autoflotte spoke to Tropos boss Markus Schrick and drove with a candidate for change, the Tropos Able.
Markus Schrick is a seasoned manager who gained experience at Ford , Audi and Toyota worldwide until he became head of Hyundai Germany in 2012. He stayed there until July 2018 to start at automotive logistics company Mosolf in spring 2020 . Mosolf has had the rights to Tropos Motors Europe for around a year and the first model, the Tropos Able, is available.
"We have in mind that we will be the innovator in small electric commercial vehicles and that at some point we will have a USP on the market that will beat the entire market," says Schrick at Mosolf headquarters in Kirchheim / Teck. The "becoming" may be a bit deep, because according to Schrick there are actually only five competitors, of which Evum Motors, Goupil and ARI (not to be confused with the leasing provider) are three. The Tropos package is coherent and, above all: target group-oriented. We did the first test drive on asphalt, although "the Able can't only drive on the road". He drives in the hardware store, hotel, warehouse, building yard, acts as a food truck or parcel service. So out and indoor.
The Tropos is an agile, compact and well-designed L7E electric transport vehicle that transports two Euro pallets over a length of 3.70 meters and a width of 1.40 meters, which can be loaded with around 550 kilograms. This makes the rear-wheel drive vehicle with a turning circle of eight meters interesting for many B2B customers who need transportation, are usually in metropolitan areas in public space and therefore also travel a few kilometers a day. Although the largest of the three battery configurations (2x13 kWh batteries) allows 260 kilometers under ideal conditions. It is charged by means of a socket, which fills empty batteries overnight. "I can imagine a lot of customers on the lithium ion batteryput. This is more advanced and the vehicle then has a few extras such as ABS, energy recuperation, information display and the top speed increases from 40 to 60 km / h. There's still room for improvement. "
It starts at 18,000 euros
The 40 km / h version is suitable for company premises where there is also "public traffic" such as in the zoo, building yard or factory premises. The cheapest version, the Able ST with AGM battery (lead battery) starts at 18,000 euros net, the variant with the largest Li-ion battery (Tropos Able XT ) comes to around 30,000 euros. It depends on the choice of transport solution. Flatbed, suitcase variants with 3.5 and 4.5 cubic meters capacity, leaf grids and tarpaulin were there from the beginning. "Based on the current situation, we have developed a disinfection system." This can be used to disinfect train stations and parks with dry steam. "Our vehicle is manoeuvrable and compact, so it can be used almost anywhere."The set-up can be replaced within a quarter of an hour - Tropos calls the system easy swap.
Also because of the flexibility Schrick and his team have at Mosolf, the Krefeld-born man expects sales of 3,500 Able in Europe . It is unfortunate that the market start in the Corona year. In 2020, however, there should be at least 800 vehicles. Primarily sold in Germany, the heart of Tropos. Austria , Switzerland , France and Italy start at the same time. "We currently have a lot of inquiries from Belgium and the Netherlands. We are also flexible there."
" Quality always comes first. Not only the quality of the vehicles, but also that of the organization." That's why Schrick doesn't want everyone in sales who can sell cars well. The "e-spirit" has to be right and he has to live electromobility . even with the maintenance , because it is a high-voltage system. "the quality of the sale must be of high quality and the company that stands behind it, solid. Because we are here to stay. With the solidity of Mosolf in the background, that's a given, "is the statement.
There is hardly anything to wait. And that is also the crux. With this type of vehicle, usually nothing breaks and little wear. The tires are probably the most stressed component on the Tropos, as we can see on our trip. The mini truck only has 14 hp, but they are enough to take the first few meters dynamically at the traffic light start. Because of the direct (servo) steering and the unexpected driving comfort, it is no wonder that "people who get into the vehicle without prior knowledge and take a lap get out with a smile". Disc brakes on all wheels are a matter of honor and stop even without braking power assistance and without ABS (entry-level version) to inspire confidence.
Fleet management possible
But how does Tropos want to make sustainable money? The keyword is services. And besides the classic ones like leasing or renting - where customers keep coming back because they always want to be at the cutting edge of technology - there are others. Fleet management is a building block that is particularly obvious with regard to the logistician Mosolf. Schrick says: "With our Tropos, we not only offer a vehicle, but an entire ecosystem. An emission-free, quiet, inexpensive vehicle that can be flexibly converted within less than 15 minutes with the largest loading area in its segment." In fact, there is a data box for fleet management including route planning and logbooketc. otherwise not in the segment. You can even connect to predictive data hubs, the Internet of Things or transport-as-a-service functions.
But Schrick is also aware that there will be customers who want to and will drive their Tropos for ten or more years, "and honestly, what could be better than that. Then we can say: look, who drives ten years and there is nothing to it. And if we have a part of all groups, that suits us. "
Quality is always a priority
In any case, Schrick is certain that the Tropos is a vehicle that meets the requirements of German customers - "that was important to us". And if, unexpectedly, the quality is not completely convincing, the TCO could do it . What other vehicle has a TCO of less than four cents per kilometer? Tropos calculated this value with a trade electricity price of 22 euro cents per kWh. However, the Able would also have to be moved with green electricity in order to exploit the ecological potential. Because not only the emissions are zero, the space requirement in the city centers is decimated with little or no storage space restrictions. Traffic jams are reduced or avoided.
30 people are currently working in the Herne plant, 15 of them assemble the SKD sets (Semi Knocked Down) ordered by Tropos. And Schrick emphasizes: "We don't just assemble together, we have many parts that are sourced from Germany", such as the steering wheel, wheels, platform, radio and some parts under the "sheet".
The Tropos was developed in the USA . It is actually a further development. Because the original idea was shaped into a product in France in 2013 with the help of Magna . Good prerequisites, because Magna is one of the best options in the automotive industry as a vehicle developer and manufacturer. Tropos Motors acts as the manufacturerand thus bears the entire responsibility for the manufacturer. "Made in Germany" also means a promise. A promise of quality, which Schrick absolutely wants to keep. Because "this is still something of value for customers". Schrick expects to have around 50 colleagues by the end of 2020. However, the manager is so clear that he doesn't name any visions for the next three years. Or better: "I can't say at the moment. Let's talk again in half a year." We will. (mb)
For a long time, Tropos boss Markus Schrick ran the business of Hyundai Motor Germany. (Photo: Michael Blumenstein / car fleet)
