Krone eTrailer: SCS On The Road interview and electric-axle design

SCS Software recorded its Krone eTrailer episode at the Solutrans 2023 commercial-vehicle show in Lyon and published it on 21 February 2024. Vera Hunfeld, Managing Director of Krone France, walks around the trailer and explains the powered axle, its control system and the intended effect on a complete tractor-trailer combination.

How the eTrailer assists a tractor

Krone developed the eTrailer with Trailer Dynamics. An electrified axle in the trailer adds tractive support while a control system responds to the movement of the tractor-trailer combination. During braking, the axle recovers energy and sends it back to the battery. The design can be paired with diesel and battery-electric tractors because the propulsion hardware sits in the trailer.

Krone has published potential fuel and carbon-dioxide reductions of 20 to 40 percent when the system assists a combustion-engine tractor. Route profile, load, speed and operating conditions affect the result. The published range comes from Krone and does not guarantee a fixed saving for every haul. With a battery-electric tractor, the extra stored energy is intended to extend driving range.

Status after the 2024 interview

The SCS episode records the eTrailer during its demonstration phase. In March 2026, industry publication electrive reported roughly two dozen pre-series vehicles using individual operating permits. Trailer Dynamics told the publication that type approval and volume production were targeted for 2027 or early 2028. Those dates describe the company’s plan at the time of the interview, not a completed production milestone.

Sources: the SCS Software episode, its official Steam mirror, Krone’s Solutrans 2023 technical summary and electrive’s 2026 Trailer Dynamics interview.