Full power! eActros tested for everyday use at Simon Loos

CO₂-neutral transports? The eActros makes it possible! An “innovation fleet” of ten purely battery-driven trucks has been in use at ten customers in Germany and Switzerland since autumn 2018. The second test phase began recently, in which the trucks are tested for their suitability for everyday use. Eight of these trucks are with new customers in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, while two of them are with customers from the first phase.

Simon Loos is the first new customer to take on an eActros. The logistics service provider from the Netherlands is using the truck with a Schmitz Cargobull refrigerated box for the Albert Heijn supermarket chain. The day’s rounds with fresh food start at a distribution centre in Delfgauw in the province of South Holland and lead to branches in cities such as Rotterdam, The Hague and Delft.

CO₂-neutral driving by day, high-speed charging by night.

The eActros covers around 200 kilometres locally each day – all without CO₂ emissions. The batteries are charged at night at the distribution centre in Delfgauw, where Albert Heijn has established a new building with several rapid charging stations. Experts from Mercedes‑Benz Trucks trained the drivers in the use of high-voltage systems in advance.

“As the leading logistics service provider in the Netherlands, our strategy places great emphasis on sustainability,” says Wim Roks, fleet manager at Simon Loos, where they have been gathering experience with alternative drives since 2014. The practical test of the eActros is another big step towards sustainable transport in the retail sector.

– Wim Roks, fleet manager at Simon Loos

Low noise, pleasant driving experience.

“We started the practical tests for our eActros in September 2018 and covered hundreds of thousands of kilometres using only electricity,” says Andreas von Wallfeld, Head of Marketing, Sales and Services at Mercedes‑Benz Trucks. “The findings of the first test phase have made a valuable contribution to the planned start of series production next year.”

Thus, the approximately 200-kilometre range has proven to be realistic. The eActros is in no way inferior to a conventional diesel truck in terms of availability and performance in urban traffic, on motorways or overland routes. Drivers are impressed by the continuous availability of torque of the entire range of speed as well as by the low noise level and pleasant driving experience.

Architecture fully designed for an electric drive.

The eActros is based on the framework of the Actros. Beyond that, its architecture is fully geared to an electric drive. The two electric motors near the wheel hubs on the rear axle each have an output of 126 kW and a maximum torque of 485 Nm each. This results in transmission of 11,000 N for each. Lithium-ion batteries with 240 kWh supply the power and, depending on the available charging power, can be fully charged within two hours (at 150 kW).

Photos: Daimler Truck AG