Mercedes has recently delivered the first 10 eActros electric heavy-duty trucks to Hermes, Germany’s largest independent logistics company, who will be testing the trucks over the next two years.
The eActros, Mercedes-Benz’s new electric heavy-duty truck, is planned for a series production in 2021. The Mercedes electric trucks will come in two different versions, 18 and 25 tonnes. Both versions of the eActros will come equipped with a 240 kWh battery, capable of a 200 km (125 miles) estimated range. The eActros will also support fast charging at 20-80 kW, taking 3-11 hours to fully charge.
Hermes, the first of 20 “test customers,” will be testing the 25-ton version of the electric heavy-duty trucks for a typical distance of about 50 km (31 miles), and will be doing so between Bad Hersfeld and the Hermes logistics Center in Friedewald, northern Hessia in Germany over the course of the next two years. While not a particularly long trek, the route is said to pass through “hilly landscape and is covered six to eight times each day,” proving to be an adequate test for the electric truck.
Stefan Buchner, Head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks, had the following to say in regards to the delivery of the eActros:
“The practical trials with the eActros are an important milestone on the way to series production. We want to use the comprehensive findings to realise electric trucks for inner-city distribution from 2021.”
Oliver Lanka, Head of Central Procurement at Hermes Germany, added the following statement in regards to the combined efforts of the companies:
“Electromobility is an essential component of our sustainability strategy. We have set ourselves the ambitious goal of making our deliveries in all urban centres in Germany emission-free by 2025. Alongside the use of battery-electric vans over the last mile, the gradual electrification of heavy-duty distribution and feeder transport is an important topic for us. We are working together closely with Mercedes-Benz Trucks in this area. Both the technological concept of the eActros and the end-to-end service approach plus the level of advice have impressed us.”
Source: Daimler
