Launch of the First Fully Electric Sewer Cleaning Vehicle
May 30, 2022 at 7:30 PM
LTN Becomes Online System Logistics (OSL) Partner
May 30, 2022 at 7:40 PM
Following the market launch of the eActros for heavy distribution traffic in 2021, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is consistently advancing the introduction of additional battery-electric models for this year and the coming years. The eActros LongHaul, designed for the important long-distance segment, is expected to be ready for series production in 2024 with a range of approximately 500 kilometers on a single battery charge. Initial prototypes of the 40-ton truck are already undergoing tests, and this year, the developers at Mercedes-Benz Trucks plan to trial the electric truck on public roads.
(Stuttgart / Wörth) The eActros LongHaul will enable high-performance charging, known as megawatt charging. Additionally, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is preparing further variants of the eActros – specifically the eActros 300 and eActros 400 – and by July, the eEconic for municipal use is set to roll off the production line at the Wörth plant as the second fully electric series vehicle. Mercedes-Benz Trucks aims to increase the share of locally CO2-neutral new vehicles in Europe to over 50 percent by 2030.
To further introduce truck customers from all over Europe to electromobility, the manufacturer will host a multi-week event around the Wörth location starting in early June. Experts from Mercedes-Benz Trucks will inform around 1,000 participants about the central aspects of e-mobility, from infrastructure to services to electric models. Furthermore, customers will have the opportunity to drive the eActros 300 on challenging routes with realistic payloads.
Karin Rådström, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Trucks: “The great interest in our eActros driving event in Wörth is further evidence of the support that electromobility is already receiving from customers. The customers are sending a strong signal to all stakeholders to quickly and collaboratively bring more electric trucks onto the roads, expand charging infrastructure, and achieve cost parity.”
Commitment with Partners for Charging Infrastructure
In terms of depot charging, Mercedes-Benz Trucks collaborates with Siemens Smart Infrastructure, ENGIE, and EVBox Group. Regarding public charging for long-distance transport, Daimler Truck, TRATON GROUP, and Volvo Group have signed a binding agreement to establish a joint venture. This venture aims to build and operate a public high-performance charging network for battery-electric heavy-duty long-distance trucks and coaches in Europe. The charging network of the three parties will be available to fleet operators in Europe regardless of brand.
The goal of the project “High-Performance Charging in Truck Long-Distance Transport” (HoLa), involving Daimler Truck and under the patronage of the VDA, is the planning, construction, and operation of a selected high-performance charging infrastructure for battery-electric long-distance trucks. At four locations in Germany, two high-performance charging points with the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) will be established and tested in real-world practical use. Various other consortium partners from industry and research are involved in the project.
Mercedes-Benz eEconic at IFAT
The battery-electric eEconic will celebrate its trade fair premiere on May 30 at IFAT, the world’s leading trade fair for water, wastewater, waste, and raw materials management, in Munich. Especially in urban use during the early morning hours, the eEconic stands out with its lower noise emissions. The eEconic benefits from Daimler Truck’s global platform strategy in its vehicle architecture: The drivetrain of the low-floor truck is based on the Mercedes-Benz eActros, which has been in series production at the Wörth plant since October 2021. Since May 2022, FES Frankfurter Entsorgungs- und Service GmbH has been using a near-series eEconic in Frankfurt am Main for municipal waste collection.
Second Generation of MirrorCam for the eActros
Since April of this year, Mercedes-Benz Trucks has equipped the eActros with the further developed second generation of the MirrorCam, which features improvements in representation and safety. Externally, the camera arms on both sides have been shortened by ten centimeters each. The new dimensions bring the advantage that drivers find it easier to reverse straight compared to the first generation of the MirrorCam, as the perspective of the MirrorCam is now even more similar to that of the familiar glass mirror.
Ultimate Goal: CO2-Neutral Transport on the Roads by 2050
Daimler Truck aims to offer only new vehicles that are CO2-neutral in operation (“tank-to-wheel”) in Europe, Japan, and North America by 2039. The two battery-electric models, the Mercedes-Benz eCitaro and Mercedes-Benz eActros, have been rolling off the production line since 2018 and 2021, respectively. The Mercedes-Benz eEconic, the FUSO eCanter, and the Freightliner eCascadia will follow later this year, and further locally CO2-neutral vehicles are already in planning. From the second half of the decade, the company intends to expand its vehicle offerings to include series vehicles with hydrogen-based fuel cell drives. A CO2-neutral transport on the roads by 2050 is the ultimate goal.
Photo: © Daimler Truck AG
