Global trailermaker Schmitz Cargobull has shown off a Transformer Trailer, with an electric powertrain and energy recovery system – capable of cutting CO2 emissions by up to 25%.

Its energy-efficient curtainsider, which won the European Transport Prize for Sustainability in December, uses aerodynamics to improve airflow across the front, sides and rear of the trailer. A fully height-adjustable roof completes the aero package.

But the major CO2 reduction comes from the trailer's built-in battery and electric motor, which transfers power via a gearbox and propshaft down to a drive axle, providing electrical propulsion for "hybrid on demand" operation.

The battery, with a capacity of 22kWh, has been installed between the l-beams for protection.

"The electrical system can achieve an output of up to 80kW and maximum torque of 200 Nm," says Schmitz Cargobull's board member for R&D Roland Klement.

The inevitable downside is that the hybrid drive adds an extra 1140 kilograms to the trailer's tare weight.

The company says that the trailer, which it developed in league with 13 partners, has been proven to reduce CO2 emissions by 15% compared to a conventional trailer – but the full suite of technology on the trailer can achieve a reduction of up to "around 25%."

Adds Klement: "When we started developing the prototype, we didn't set out to build a one-off. Instead we used a standard trailer as our basis, along with adapted production components.

"As a result, it could pass through the standard production process and meet all the requirements for road approval."

Schmitz Cargobull says its participation in the European Commission-funded Transformers project, "is our way of making an important contribution to sustainable CO2 reduction."