Daimler Trucks showcased its new Mercedes-Benz eTruck in Stuttgart, Germany on July 27 with a test-drive around
Until quite recently, the use of fully electric drives systems in trucks seemed to be unimaginable – especially because of the high costs of the batteries coupled with a low range. The technology has now become much more mature. In particular battery cells rapidly developing further.
Daimler Trucks expects the costs of batteries to lower by the factor 2.5 between 1997 and 2025.
At the same time, performance will improve by the same factor over the same period – from 80Wh/kg up to 200Wh/kg.
Technically the Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck is based on a heavy-duty, three-axle short-radius Mercedes-Benz distribution truck.
In addition, however, the developers at Daimler Trucks have totally revised the drive concept.
The entire conventional drivetrain being replaced by a new electrically driven rear axle with electric motors directly adjacent to the wheel hubs – derived from the electric rear axle which was developed for the Mercedes-Benz Citaro hybrid bus.
The power is supplied by a battery pack consisting of three lithium-ion battery modules. This results in a range of up to 200km – enough for a typical daily delivery tour.
Thanks to the integrated concept with motors adjacent to the wheel hubs, the batteries are housed in a crash-proof location inside the frame.
Video: Daimler Trucks