Mercedes-Benz Trucks has announced ten of its new eActros fully-electric vehicle will be delivered to customers for trials in the coming weeks.
Customers in Germany and Switzerland will test the 18- or 25-tonne vehicles while performing a variety of delivery roles. The vehicles will be fitted with refrigerated boxes, tanks or curtainside bodies, and will be in operation for 12 months, at which point they will be handed over to a different customer for further trials.
Offering 160 miles of range, the eActros is powered by two lithium-ion batteries giving a total power output of 240kWh. Stored in 11 packs in steel housings for safety, they can be recharged in three to eleven hours depending on the recharging provision available.
“Daimler Trucks is synonymous with innovation leadership, allied to a realistic and pragmatic attitude,” explained Martin Daum, the Daimler AG Board Member responsible for Daimler Trucks and Buses. “This is particularly true when it comes to electric mobility. We now want to work together with our customers to move swiftly forward with the development of our Mercedes-Benz eActros to the point where it becomes a viable proposition in tough everyday operations – both technically and commercially. We are beginning this process by creating an innovation fleet and will be supporting its testing in the day-to day logistics environment of our customers. This will enable us to establish just what remains to be done, in terms of technical matters, infrastructure and service, to make our Mercedes-Benz eActros competitive.”
