Mercedes-Benz Trucks started its eActros sales tour through five European countries today. The route of the three electric trucks for distribution haulage will initially run from the Mercedes-Benz Wörth plant via Austria to Italy. After a subsequent loop through Germany, the eActros will continue on to the Netherlands and Belgium. Several stopovers will be made on the route in order to present the vehicles and services to customers in detail. E-mobility experts from Mercedes-Benz Trucks who will be on the road with the eActros will discuss market-specific issues relating to e-mobility directly with fleet operators and will provide customers with comprehensive consulting. All in all, the three eActros trucks will cover around 3,700 kilometers in purely battery-electric mode over a period of five weeks. They will be charged at public charging stations as well as on the depots of Daimler Truck branches.
Stina Fagerman, Head of Marketing, Sales and Services at Mercedes-Benz Trucks: “More and more fleet operators are preparing to electrify their fleets. With the eActros roadshow, we will be actively reaching out to customers and letting them experience the eActros first hand. At the same time, we will be providing comprehensive consulting on the switch to e-mobility. We are very much looking forward to this CO2-neutral tour across Europe.”
The eActros 300/400 for distribution haulage
Two eActros 300 (4×2) and one eActros 400 (6×2) will be used for the roadshow. The battery-electric Mercedes-Benz eActros for heavy-duty distribution haulage has been rolling off the production line at the Wörth plant since 2021. The eActros’ batteries can consist of either three (eActros 300) or four battery packs (eActros 400), each of which has an installed capacity of 112 kWh. Fitted with four battery packs, the eActros 400 has a range of up to 400 kilometres. The technological heart of the electric truck is its drive unit, which consists of a rigid electric axle with two integrated electric motors and a two-speed transmission. The two liquid-cooled motors deliver a continuous output of 330 kW and a peak output of 400 kW. In addition, electrical energy can be recovered by means of recuperation when driving with foresight. The energy recovered by braking is fed back into the eActros’ batteries and is then again available for powering the vehicle.
eConsulting: eActros as an integrated solution including customized consulting
Irrespective of the drive technology, every investment in a commercial vehicle must pay off for transportation companies in everyday life. In addition, a whole series of questions must be answered in advance, especially in connection with fully electric trucks: On which routes can I use electric vehicles? What about the charging infrastructure? What structural measures and investments can be expected for depot charging? It is therefore all the more important not only to sell customers an electric truck, but also to support them as they electrify their fleet. After all, e-mobility is more than just a new drive. This is precisely why Mercedes-Benz Trucks has incorporated the eActros into a business ecosystem that also includes consulting services for high vehicle use and optimization of the total cost of ownership.
For example, existing routes are used to determine the most realistic and meaningful usage profile of electric trucks for the respective customer. In addition to the electrification of the depot, eConsulting also includes – depending on the customer’s wishes – all questions relating to planning, application for and implementation of the charging infrastructure as well as the network connection. On request, assistance is also available in identifying possible public subsidies for infrastructure and vehicles.
Anniversary year 2023: 60 years of the Mercedes-Benz Wörth plant
The biggest truck assembly plant of Mercedes-Benz Trucks was established in Wörth am Rhein in 1963. Around 4.4 million trucks have been built here since the beginning. Today these are the Actros, Arocs and Atego models. The Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks Econic, Unimog and Zetros are also built in Wörth. Series production of the battery-electric Mercedes-Benz eActros started in 2021, followed in 2022 by the second electric series-production truck, the Mercedes-Benz eEconic. With around 10,000 employees, the Mercedes-Benz Wörth plant is the second largest employer in Rhineland-Palatinate.
SOURCE: Daimler Truck
