Mercedes-Benz reveals longest-range electric truck: eActros, This past weekend at IAA, Mercedes-Benz Trucks introduced the eActros LongHaul, which is the company’s electric truck with the longest range yet.
Daimler Trucks, the commercial truck division of the German automaker that includes many brands like Mercedes-Benz Trucks and Freightliner, has been a leader in electrification with a growing portfolio of battery-electric trucks. This has contributed to Daimler Trucks’ position as a market pioneer in this area.
The corporation had already made some headway with electric trucks, such as the eCascadia, which is an electric class 8 semitruck, and the eActros, which is a short-range urban electric truck. Both of these vehicles are manufactured by the firm.
In the year 2020, Mercedes-Benz introduced the eActros LongHaul, a new version of the eActros with an increased driving range.
This past weekend, the manufacturer made the first public appearance of the eActros LongHaul at the IAA and disclosed additional specifications.
It has been verified by Daimler that the vehicle is outfitted with three battery packs, giving it a total capacity of “around 600 kWh”:
With its clean curves and an LED light strip in the front region, the eActros LongHaul concept vehicle that was displayed at IAA offers a sneak peek at the design language that will be used for the production vehicle. Mercedes-Benz Trucks has also made an announcement with new details regarding the eActros LongHaul series.
Three battery packs give an installed total capacity of more than 600 kWh, and two electric motors, as part of a new e-axle, create a continuous output of 400 kW and a peak output of more than 600 kW. Together, these two electric motors contribute to an output that is greater than 600 kW.
The manufacturer estimates that a single charge will get the vehicle “approximately 500 kilometers” in distance. That’s approximately 500 kilometers. Although Mercedes-Benz did not specify whether or not that was with a full load, we are going to presume that it was.
It is interesting to note that Mercedes-Benz has confirmed the use of LFP battery cells in the battery pack of the eActros LongHaul:
The lithium-iron phosphate cell technology is utilized in the construction of the eActros LongHaul batteries (LFP). These are distinguished in particular by their extended lifespan and increased energy output that can be put to practical use.
Mercedes claims that it is increasing in longevity, despite the possibility that it would lose some energy density due to the use of LFP cells, which would result in a lesser range than, for example, the Tesla Semi, which has a range of 500 miles.
According to the business, they anticipate the car will continue to run for over ten years and 1.2 million kilometers (750,000 miles):
In addition to the tractor unit, Mercedes-Benz Trucks will immediately begin production of rigid variants of the eActros LongHaul shortly after the product’s introduction to the market. Customers will have access to a wide variety of other conceivable uses in totally electric transport as a result of this.
The eActros LongHaul is being designed by the development engineers at Mercedes-Benz Trucks to fulfill the same durability criteria as a comparable traditional heavy long-distance Actros. This is being done so that the vehicle and its components can be used interchangeably. That equates to 1.2 million kilometers traveled throughout a period of ten years on public roads.
When using a charging station with an output of “approximately one megawatt,” according to Mercedes, the battery pack in the truck can be charged from 20 to 80% in “far under 30 minutes.”
At the Worth truck plant, where Mercedes-Benz Trucks already has an assembly line set up, the eActros LongHaul will be constructed there. The first prototypes have already been put through their paces in terms of testing, and next year will see “near-production prototypes” put through their paces by customers in the context of real-world use cases.
Production in large quantities is anticipated to begin in 2024.
In addition to the eActros LongHaul, Mercedes-Benz Trucks also introduced a new model of the eActros called the eActros 300. This model is outfitted with three packs, each of which has a capacity of approximately 112 kWh of energy. On a single charge, it has the capability of traveling “up to 220 kilometres,” which is equivalent to around 137 miles.
After the first half of 2023, consumers will be able to purchase this updated version.