Series production of Mercedes’ first battery electric truck to start in October

20th August 2021

By: Irma Venter

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

     

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Mercedes-Benz Trucks will start series production of its first battery-electric truck in Germany in October.

The electric Actros (eActros) is destined for urban heavy-duty distribution haulage markets.

Series production of a second electric truck (etruck), the eEconic, for waste collection, is set to start later this year.

“We have to acknowledge that transport is a part of the problem when it comes to climate change,” says Mercedes-Benz Trucks head Karin Rådström.

“At the same time, we can, and we will be, part of the solution. We start with our eActros that has covered more than half-a-million kilometres on public roads.”

The German truck maker first presented the concept eActros in 2016.

Practical testing of ten prototypes, in cooperation with customers in Germany and other European countries, began in 2018.

“Everything that we learned from this innovation fleet is now being incorporated in series production,” says Mercedes-Benz Trucks marketing, sales and services head Andreas von Wallfeld.

“Compared with the prototypes, several features, such as range, drive power and safety, have been considerably improved in the series-production model.”

Depending on the version, the eActros draws its power from three or four battery packs, each with a capacity of about 105 kWh.

Thanks to a maximum capacity of 420 kWh, a range of up to 400 km is possible, says Von Wallfeld.

When connected to a regular 400A DC charging station, the three battery packs need a little longer than an hour to charge from 20% to 80%.

“Thus, the eActros is perfectly equipped for its daily operations in distribution transport with regard to availability and performance,” says Von Wallfeld.

Rådström adds that electric trucks will help to reduce pollution levels in cities, while they are also very quiet – at 60 dB, the driving sound of the eActros is equivalent to two people having a conversation.

In the initial phases of the roll-out of the series-production eActros, the truck will be available in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

Additional markets are set to follow.

Mercedes-Benz Trucks South Africa (MBTSA) head Maretha Gerber says that the exact introduction date for the eActros in the South African market has not yet been confirmed.

“As it currently stands, MBTSA anticipates to have the first e-vehicles by 2024/25.”

e-Consulting Services
Mercedes-Benz Trucks has introduced econsultants to help fleet owners make the transition from conventional to new-energy vehicles.

These econsultants will be on standby to help truck drivers and fleet owners with any questions they may have about electric trucks, such as how to charge the vehicle, as well as the most suitable routes for an electric truck.

The econsultants will be available in every market where the eActros will be launched.

Pricing, Residual Value


The price of the eActros is three times that of a conventional diesel-powered Actros, says Von Wallfeld.

However, he expects price parity around 2025, but notes that this will be dependent on the energy prices and government incentives prevalent in each market.

On a total-cost-of-ownership basis, there “is already almost parity”, but this is again dependent on the energy prices and government incentives available in the various markets.

Von Wallfeld notes, however, that cost becomes less of an issue when considering increasingly stringent emissions regulations, such as the introduction of emissions-free zones in the Netherlands in 2025.

He adds that Mercedes-Benz Trucks is “not worried” about the residual value of current diesel trucks, “as we offer operational leases where customers can lease trucks for five or six years”, with the residual value guaranteed at the end of the lease.

“Residual values play an important role in our industry, and, of course, market predictability is important for residual values and, in this new field, it is very challenging.”

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

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