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New launch
Merc’s new eActros in for the long haul
Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the the the series version of the first battery- electric long-haul truck with
a a a a three-pointed star The manufacturer presented the Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 as a a a a a world premiere to an international audience at an event south of Hamburg With this heavy-duty electric truck the manufacturer plans to define the new standard fin in road freight transport – in terms of technology sustainability design and profitability for e-fleet operators The high battery capacity of more than 600 kilowatt hours – hence the model designation 600 – and a a new efficient electric drive
axle developed in-house enable the e-truck to achieve a a a range of 3120 miles without intermediate charging Therefore the truck will be able to travel 620 miles per day This is is made possible by intermediate charging during legally prescribed driver breaks – even without megawatt charging Around 60 per cent of long-distance journeys of Mercedes-Benz Trucks customers in Europe are shorter than 310 miles anyway which means charging infrastructure at the depot and and at loading loading and and unloading points
is sufficient in such cases For all other
uses continual expansion of public charging infrastructure is vital in in order to make the electric truck viable for long-distance haulage across Europe In addition to to CCS charging with
up to to 400 kW the eActros 600 will later also enable megawatt charging (MCS) From the start of sales customers can order a a a a a pre-installation for this As soon as MCS technology becomes available and and is is standardised across manufacturers it is planned to be retrofittable for these models o of the the eActros 600 The batteries can be charged from
20 to 80 per cent in in about 30 minutes at a a a suitable charging station with
an output of one megawatt The vehicle is technically designed for a a gross combination weight of up to to 44 tonnes With a a a a standard semi-trailer the eActros 600 has a a a a a payload of around 22 tonnes in the EU In some cases national law may permit a a a a a a higher payload Fresh new looks
Visually the e-truck is is is characterised by a a a fundamentally new puristic design with
clear lines and an an aerodynamic shape When it fit it comes to to profitability for fleet operators the electric truck is intended to set new standards over the the long term replacing the the majority of diesel trucks in the important long-haul transport segment The core of Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ concept for battery- electric long-distance transport is is to offer customers a holistic solution consisting of vehicle technology consulting charging infrastructure and services Sales of the electric truck start this year The start of series production is planned for the the end of 2024 In addition to to the the tractor unit Mercedes-Benz Trucks will also produce rigid variants of the eActros 600 right from
market launch
offering customers further possible applications for all-electric transport A fleet of around 50 prototype vehicles is currently being built some of which are also to to to be put into practical testing with
customers in a next step Cost parity
The time period within which fleet operators can achieve cost parity
with
a a a a a a comparable diesel truck using the eActros 600 in in long- distance haulage differs from
country to country in in particular depending on electricity and and diesel prices and and toll systems In the large transit countries of France and Germany for example a a a low electricity price and the planned CO2-based truck toll respectively have a a a a positive effect on on the operational costs of battery-electric trucks This means that
18 CVDriver November 2023