MERCEDES-BENZ

eActros: the vision of the German electric transport car giant is coming true

In terms of capacity, distance and routes, long-distance freight transport is the most demanding segment in road freight transport. At the same time, there is great potential here to reduce CO2 emissions. Following the market launch of the eActros for heavy transport in 2021, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is now launching the next phase of battery-powered long-distance heavy transport.

The company presents the eActros LongHaul, announced in 2020, for the first time at the IAA Transportation 2022 fair in Hannover. With clear contours and an LED light strip at the front, the vehicle offers a glimpse into the design of a series production vehicle. The first prototypes have already undergone intensive testing and will be tested on public roads this year.

Karin Rådström, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Trucks: "We are continually expanding our battery-electric truck portfolio. Our focus is on providing clear benefits to customers. That's why our electric trucks are specifically designed for electric mobility, providing better handling, energy efficiency and durability."

Mercedes-Benz Trucks also announced additional information about the eActros LongHaul model series. Three batteries provide a total installed capacity of over 600 kWh.

Two electric motors, as part of the new e-axle, generate a continuous power of 400 kW and a maximum power of over 600 kW.

In addition to the truck, Mercedes-Benz Trucks will also produce rigid variants of the eActros LongHaul immediately after market launch. This will offer customers numerous other options for use in all-electric transport. Mercedes-Benz Trucks development engineers design the eActros LongHaul so that the vehicle and its components meet the same durability requirements as the comparable long-haul conventional Actros. That's 1.2 million kilometers of roads over a ten-year period.

The eActros LongHaul will be the first fully electric production vehicle from Mercedes-Benz Trucks to be produced from start to finish on the existing assembly line at the Wörth truck plant. This also includes installing all electrical components and commissioning the vehicle at the end of the line. This allows for high production capacities and fully parallel production of conventional and fully electric trucks on the same line. With the eActros 300/400 and eEconic models, on the other hand, electrification has so far taken place in a separate process at the Future Truck Center in Wörth.

The batteries used in the eActros LongHaul model use Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) cell technology. They are characterized, above all, by a long service life and more useful energy. eActros LongHaul batteries can be charged from 20 to 80 percent in less than 30 minutes at a charging station with a power rating of about one megawatt. The core of the Mercedes-Benz Trucks concept for battery-powered long-distance transport is to offer customers a complete solution consisting of vehicle technology, consulting, charging infrastructure and services. eActros LongHaul is designed to be the right choice for customers in terms of profitability, sustainability and reliability. The first prototypes have already undergone intensive testing, and the eActros LongHaul will be tested on public roads this year. Next year, near-production prototypes will go to customers for real-world testing.

For example, technology company Trailer Dinamics developed the “eTrailer” together with trailer manufacturer Krone. The core is an electronic axle built into the trailer, including batteries, which support the towing vehicle with additional power. Depending on the battery capacity of the eTrailer, a range of over 800 kilometers is possible on a single battery charge with the standard version of the eActros LongHaul.

Regarding the public charging network for long-haul transport, Daimler Truck, TRATON GROUP and Volvo Group established a joint venture in July. The joint venture plans to install and operate high-performance battery-powered truck and bus chargers in Europe. The charging network launched by the three parties will be open and accessible to all heavy commercial vehicles in Europe, regardless of brand. Mercedes-Benz Trucks cooperates with Siemens Smart Infrastructure and ENGIE companies on charging topics.

In addition, Daimler Truck participates in the “High performance loading in long-distance truck transport” (HoLa) project. The objective of this project, under the sponsorship of VDA, is the planning, construction and operation of a selected high-performance charging infrastructure for long-distance transport of electric vehicle batteries. At four sites in Germany, two high-performance Megawatt Charging System (MCS) charging points will be installed and tested in the real world. Several other industry consortium partners are involved in the project.

As electric mobility is more than just a new technology, Mercedes-Benz Trucks will integrate the eActros LongHaul, as well as its currently available electric trucks, into a holistic ecosystem that includes consulting services for efficient vehicle use and total cost of ownership optimization. property (TCO). For example, existing routes can be used to determine the most realistic and meaningful application profile of electric trucks for a given customer, in order to determine routes that can be driven by electric trucks. In addition to the electrification of the depot, all issues related to planning, application and implementation modalities related to the infrastructure needed for charging as well as network connection, are also part of the eConsulting call, depending on the user's needs.

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