Dr Wolfgang Bernhard, responsible for Daimler Trucks & Buses at the board of management, said the time is now ripe for the electric truck in the distribution sector. That doesn’t mean that the Urban eTruck will be in production soon, or even in the next couple of years. Today, however, Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the 26-tonne (28.7-ton) electrically powered Urban eTruck, which points to a future of zero emission, noise-free large truck deliveries.
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Trucks tested include the 6-ton Canter e-Cell from Daimler’s Fuso brand and a model from Swedish competitor Scania that’s powered by overhead electric cables, while U.S. startup Nikola Motor Co has outlined plans to unveil a battery-powered prototype in December. The truck is intended for short, local trips, as it only has a range of up to 124 miles. Whereas three-axle rigid trucks are now limited to a gross vehicle weight of 25 tonnes (27.5 USA tons), the Commission is considering upping the limit of trucks with alternative drivetrains to 26 tonnes (28.6 US tons). “We intend to establish electric driving as systematically as autonomous and connected driving”, said Bernhard.
The rear of three axles will be electrically driven, with electric motors next to the wheel hubs that are derived from a design Mercedes-Benz now uses with its Citaro hybrid bus.
The idea behind an electric truck with such a small range, when compared to its diesel counterparts, is to provide an eco-friendly alternative for heavyweight shipping in urban areas.
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The Urban eTruck is, as its name suggests, largely for city duty, as its limited range still prevents long-haul trucking from taking advantage of a battery-electric drivetrain. Using a 100 kW charging station, the eTruck’s batteries can be charged from completely flat to full in as little as two hours. For safety, the batteries are located inside the frame to protect them from crashes. Therefore, 2020 is the likely first year the Urban eTruck will actually be in production.
