A first look at Mercedes-Benz’s latest all-electric truck: the eActros

As mentioned in our previous article, Daimler has several electric truck programs in the works and today it revealed the latest progress on the eActros heavy-duty electric trucks.

Here’s a closer look at the vehicle.

Daimler built two variants with a gross vehicle weight of 18 or 25 tonnes.

The truck is powered by two electric motors with a total power output of 250 kW and powered by two battery packs with a 240 kWh capacity.

The German truck manufacturer describes the powertrain:

The drive system comprises two electric motors located close to the rear-axle wheel hubs. These three-phase asynchronous motors are liquid-cooled and operate with a nominal voltage of 400 volts. They generate an output of 125 kW each, with maximum torque of 485 Nm each. The gearing ratios convert this into 11 000 Nm each, resulting in driving performance on a par with that of a diesel truck.

The maximum permissible axle load stands at the usual 11.5 tonnes. The energy for a range of up to 200 km is provided by two lithium-ion batteries with an output of 240 kWh.

These are the same battery packs that have been used by EvoBus GmbH. In term of capacity, it’s a significant powertrain, but it can only enable about 125 miles of range in a vehicle of this size and weight.

As for charging capacity, Daimler is only talking about “20 to 80 kW charge rates”, which can charge the vehicle in “3 to 11 hours.”

Stefan Buchner, Head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks, says that it will be used for short-range applications:

“We are now passing both two- and three-axle variants of our heavy-duty electric truck, the Mercedes-Benz eActros, into the hands of customers. Initially the focus will be on inner-city goods transport and delivery services – the ranges required here are well within the scope of our Mercedes-Benz eActros.”

The batteries are located in eleven modules –  three of these are located in the frame area and the rest are underneath.

Here are a bunch of images and technical diagrams released by Daimler today: