On June 30th, Mercedes-Benz Trucks will celebrate the world premiere of its battery-powered eActros for heavy-duty distribution. It’s going to be another digital event streamed on the Internet.
With the presentation of the first series-produced electric lorry bearing the star logo, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is to prove its commitment to locally CO2-neutral road transport.
Series production of the eActros is scheduled to begin at the Wörth am Rhein plant in the second half of this year. During the development of the series-production vehicle, the developers at Mercedes-Benz Trucks have particularly focused on the “customer co-creation” aspect, in which truck customers are closely involved in the product’s development.
Therefore, prototypes of the eActros already went into intensive customer testing in 2018. To date, the prototypes have driven more than half a million kilometres on public roads.
More than two years of practical testing by customers
Since 2018, ten eActros prototypes have formed an “Innovation Fleet” in which they have proven their worth in continuous operation at various customers in Germany and other European countries.
In two test phases, almost 20 test customers used an eActros instead of a conventional truck in their fleets. In both the 18-ton and 25-ton versions, the eActros fulfilled various tasks in a variety of sectors. Among other things, it transported chilled goods in an electrically-powered refrigerated box body to supermarket branches, served as a plant vehicle to supply components for production, handled the replacement of waste containers, and used a tank body to carry fly ash for the production of concrete.
Outside Germany, the battery-powered truck was also tested by customers in Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Intensive testing before series production is launched
Before series production commences, the developers have subjected the eActros – like its conventional counterparts – to endurance tests to be sure of its safety, performance and durability.
The cooling system for the cargo and also the air conditioning — both of which are electrically operated — have been operating reliably in both extreme heat and winter conditions.
The testing engineers have also thoroughly tested the eActros in a winter test, where special attention was paid to the behaviour of the batteries and the electrical powertrain under extreme weather conditions.
The eActros was also subjected to additional testing concepts such as noise measurements at an exterior noise test rig and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) tests in a dedicated testing hall.
The results show that the eActros is suitable for everyday use and that it fulfils operating requirements.
Electric portfolio by 2022, hydrogen portfolio by 2027
The Daimler Truck AG is pursuing a sustainable corporate strategy and aims to offer only new vehicles that are CO2-neutral in driving operation (“tank-to-wheel”) in Europe, Japan and North America by 2039″ – promises the company.
As early as 2022, the Daimler Truck AG wants its vehicle portfolio to include series-produced vehicles with battery-powered drive systems in the main sales regions Europe, the United States and Japan.
Beginning in 2027, the company wants to supplement its portfolio by adding series-produced hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles. The ultimate goal is to achieve CO2-neutral transport on the road by 2050.
The digital world premiere will be streamed on June 30th at 10:00 am CEST:
https://newtrucknewera.mercedes-benz-trucks.com/
Photo credit @ Daimler
