Quiet mission. With the eActros in Krems.

When Sebastian enters the yard early in the morning, it is still quiet. It used to be the hour when you could already hear the working day – the engine starting, idling, the typical hum that reverberated between the recycling canopies and halls. Today it's different. There stands his Mercedes-Benz eActros, including a fully electric refuse compactor – charged, ready, and almost surprisingly quiet.

"The difference starts as soon as you set off," he says, grabbing another coffee from the team canteen.

A quick check around the vehicle, a glance at the display, a hand on the door. Sebastian gets in, sits down, adjusts the steering wheel. One press of a button – ready. No jolting, no droning. Just that calm feeling: it's ready to go. "Charging takes place in our own charging park. At most seven hours, then the vehicles are fully operational again," he explains as he rolls through the wide gate. "And the most important thing: you know you'll be ready to start on time for the beginning of your shift and can climb into a pre-warmed cab every morning." Outside, Krems is still half-asleep. Most windows are dark, the streets empty. This is exactly where the eActros plays to its strengths: operating locally with zero emissions, but at this hour even more importantly: almost silent.

Narrow lanes. Interesting parked cars. Sebastian knows the spots — and he knows that his job is more than steering wheel and pedals. At the first collection point the rhythm begins: stop, secure, lift, empty, compact. Sebastian works hand in hand with his colleague on the body. A glance is enough, a signal, a short sentence. "All good. A bit more," Sebastian says as they maneuver. The compaction cycle is running – but the typical constant hum from the drive is missing and it isn't just Sebastian who notices. A window opens. An older lady nods to him, as if to say: Good that you're here. In the past you'd often see the look that already says "too loud." Today: more curious. "You notice it with people," Sebastian says. "And honestly, you notice it in yourself too. You get through the day more calmly and arrive home in the evening simply more relaxed."

Later, at an intersection, a cyclist. A brief moment that in everyday work often decides whether things stay relaxed or become stressful. Sebastian eases his right foot off the pedal — the eActros employs regenerative braking gently, in a controlled, unhurried way. "Stop-and-go is standard for us," he says. "It's an advantage when you don't constantly have to fight the noise and the vibrations." Near a school it gets livelier: children, parents, hurried footsteps. Sebastian waits, lets the group pass, and only then pulls away. "I always say: we don't just carry rubbish. We carry responsibility," he says, and you believe every word.

At midday, Krems is busy. Delivery traffic, people, and a fast pace. Sebastian stays calm, drives steadily, and remains incredibly focused. It’s noticeably more relaxed in the cab — less noise, less constant stress.

A passerby stops, looks at the truck.

"Is that one of the new electric ones?" he asks.
Sebastian nods. "Yes. An eActros 300."
"And? Does it really work?"
Sebastian laughs briefly. "I drive it every day. So yes, it works. And it feels normal."

A key success factor is the infrastructure: Brantner is investing in high-power charging parks, for example in Brennaustraße in Krems and in Hagenbrunn. Further sites are already planned. Charging is done with 100% green electricity, and they are also expanding their own photovoltaic systems to generate part of the power themselves within an energy community. In the long term, a fully self-sufficient power supply is even the goal. Sebastian puts it simply: "You need a solution that fits your job. If you set it up properly, it's not complicated and it really makes sense."

In the afternoon, the last round. Back to the site. Final check. And again that detail you only miss once it’s gone: the day ends without any reverberation. No engine heat, no diesel smell, no "head full of noise." Sebastian pauses briefly before he closes the door. "Brantner thinks in terms of the circular economy so that waste becomes a resource again," he says. "And I'm the one who takes it onto the streets every day. If that also happens quietly and locally emission-free, then it feels right."

Finally he slams the cab door shut. It almost makes you jump on Brantner's otherwise so quiet premises. In Krems, people are certainly pleased. Waste collection still takes place as before, but it no longer forces itself so loudly into the foreground.