Mercedes-Benz Trucks has shown a lot of new electric vehicles at the 2022 IAA Transportation in Hanover, Germany.
Besides the "concept prototype" of the upcoming eActros LongHaul 40-ton semi, the company presents also a tractor version of the existing Mercedes-Benz eActros truck.
It's not a concept, but a real new product, based on the eActros 300, which will be available in Europe in the second half of 2023. Combined with the eActros 300/Actros 400 trucks and a version with a trailer, Mercedes-Benz Trucks intends to offer a whole set of solutions for flexible heavy-duty distribution transport.
The main specs of the vehicle remain the same - three battery packs (112 kWh each) for a total of 336 kWh (291 kWh usable) and two liquid-cooled electric motors (e-axle).
The vehicle can pull all standard European semi-trailers, taking into account the maximum permissible total length. Range is expected to be up to 220 km (137 miles).
It means that it will be a basic semi-truck from Mercedes-Benz Trucks, until the more capable eActros LongHaul enters the market in 2024, with up to 500 km (311 miles) of range.
Gallery: Mercedes-Benz eActros 300 tractor
Mercedes-Benz eActros 300 tractor specs:
- range of up to 220 km (137 miles)
- battery system: 336 kWh (291 kWh usable)
three battery packs: 3x 112 kWh (97 kWh usable) - system output of up to 400 kW peak and 330 kW continuous
e-axle with integrated two electric motors, which are coupled with a two-speed transmission - fast charging at up to 160 kW continuous (over 200 kW peak)
20-80% SOC in a little bit over 1 h in optimum conditions (at 400 A)
Special applications for eActros
The tractor version of the eActros is not the only move to significantly expand the number of possible applications.
Together with partners, Mercedes-Benz Trucks showed electrified tipper solutions from Meiller and Palfinger, as well as a refrigerated box version from Kiesling.
With the use of the all-in-one solution eWorX developed by ZF, auxiliary devices of the vehicles might be powered directly from the traction battery of the vehicle (via a DC interface).
"The aim is to efficiently electrify PTOs for operating hydraulic work equipment such as skiploaders, hookloaders, cranes or lifting platforms."
"ZF’s eWorX system establishes the connection between the vehicle’s energy management system and body. To enable optimized operational efficiency, eWorX integrates components such as the electric motor, inverter, electronic control unit and application-specific software modules into a plug-and-work one-box solution.
...the eWorX electric motor drives, for example, the hydraulic pump for the hookloader or skiploader. A mechanical connection to the traction motor is therefore not necessary. eWorX ensures smooth communication between the e-truck and body via a CAN bus interface."
Gallery: Mercedes-Benz eActros And Electrified Tipper Solutions
The use of the main traction battery of the vehicle to power all devices is the key to fully utilizing the potential of electric trucks.
According to the press release, Kiesling's new refrigerated box for Mercedes-Benz eActros allows for significantly improved efficiency. Another important thing is that the vehicle can remain silent, instead of idling (like in the case of a diesel counterpart).
"For greater efficiency, the highly insulated refrigerated body has a cool-slide partition wall, which reduces the energy requirement of the cooling unit powered by the ePTO of the eActros by up to 40 percent and thus extends the range of the electric truck. At the end of use, the structure can also be separated into recyclable materials such as steel, wood, PU foam and aluminium."
