LAUNCH PAD II & III

The new MercedesBenz eActros will change the industry for real

Launching the new Mercedes-Benz fully electric eActros, Karin Radstrom, Member of the Board of Daimler AG with responsibility for Mercedes-Benz Trucks said: “It will change the industry for real”. Ms. Radstrom also stated that: “Launching the eActros is an important step towards our long term target to offer only CO2 neutral vehicles in Europe by 2039. We are working on a full range of zero-emission trucks and already the next electric Mercedes-Benz truck is in the making - the eEconic which will be introduced later this year.”

Propelling the new eActros are two electric motors with a two-speed planetary gear-set integrated into the drive axle. The e-motors are powered by either three or four 105 kWh Li-ion battery packs that combine to provide 315 kWh or 420 kWh respectively. Driving over its claimed range of 400 kms, eActros will deliver 330 kW (449 hp) constantly, and 400 kW (544 hp) peak power. The four-set battery pack weighs in at 740 kgs and can be recharged from 20% to 80% in approximately one hour using a 160 kW charge point. The truck will initially be available in 4x2, 6x2 and drawbar formats up to 40 tonnes (gross train weight).

However, this emission-free technology comes at a price, which Mercedes-Benz estimate to be around three times that of a comparable diesel-powered Actros. In addition, this is not a case of dropping into the local dealer and signing on the dotted line as these vehicles need dedicated support. This will be delivered by Mercedes-Benz eConsultants who will manage the integration of eActros and ensure “a fully transparent total cost of ownership (TCO) calculations.”

Despite being more expensive, it is the eActros’ TCO that MercedesBenz believes will provide the winning formula. This is due to the increasing number of low noise and zero-emission zones and the possible banning of diesel vehicles from many city centres. These factors along with Government supports and the cost of energy could combine to achieve TCO parity of a diesel and electric Actros in some countries as early as 2025 - and these considerations will greatly influence the take-up by operators.

Apart from the truck not being ADR compliant, eActros comes with all a driver would expect from the latest Actros, including the award-winning MirrorCam, Sideguard Assist, Active Brake Assist 5 and the Mercedes-Benz Multi-Media Cockpit. Following testing of over 500,000 kms with operators in the Netherlands and Germany, mainly on supermarket distribution, feedback from the companies and drivers was positive across all aspects of the truck.

With Electric Vehicle (EV) residual values are always a concern when it comes to investing, and for this reason, Mercedes-Benz is offering a lease option over the life of the truck. Head of Sales & Marketing at Mercedes-Benz Trucks Andreas von Wallfeld said: “We offer an operational lease, so, for example, customers can buy the truck or lease it for 5 or 6 years and return it to us for a guaranteed residual value.” He continued: “This shows our commitment to eActros, it is important we can offer operational lease so our customers can go out risk-free.”

This may also help with the move to creating a larger EVs truck park for used vehicles. Most electric trucks will not cover a vast number of kilometres and would be well able to continue once the battery can be reconditioned or replaced. Mercedes-Benz is already investigating this option and a good supply of used electric trucks would certainly widen the potential customer base for a move to electric transport. Nevertheless, Karin Radstrom concluded: “We do not know where battery technology will be in six years.”

With series production set to begin in October, Mercedes-Benz expects to take orders after the summer, with deliveries to the first customers by the end of 2021. Text: Paul White – paul@fleet.ie

MERCEDES-BENZ eACTROS SUMMARY Battery capacity of 315 or 420 kWh e.Motors integrated into drive axle Range up to 400 kms Power - Constant 330 kW/ Peak 400 kW Up to 160 kW charging with 400 A DC Charge times 20% -80% approx 1 hour Silent running @ 60 dB Mirror Cam, ABA5, Sideguard Assist, Mercedes-Benz Multi-Media Cockpit Two Speed Planetary Gear-Set

Mercedes-Benz Edition 2 Actros - ready to rock n’ roll!

Polished to high gloss and ready for hand over – the first batch of only 400 (Special Limited) Edition 2 Actros trucks have been leaving Mercedes-Benz’ Wörth am Rhein factory in Germany over the past few weeks. Around 40 additional options for the interior and exterior as well as special design elements give the Edition 2 a desirable character.

A whole host of high level equipment features give a feeling of luxury in the Edition 2. These include the stylish interior, for example, an instrument panel and door handles covered in nappa leather and several interior parts in a carbon-fibre optic, as well as a roof hatch with ambient lighting. The new home screen featured in the multimedia primary display, as well as the Edition logo made out of polished and brushed aluminium on the co-driver’s side, are also real eye-catchers. The top bed comes complete with bedding and is 900 millimetres wide. An all-around curtain – almond beige on the inside, black on the outside – ensures privacy in a stylish way. This equally applies to the curtain with the Mercedes-Benz three-pointed star in front of the bed.

The target group for the Actros Edition 2 special model are passionate professional drivers and owner driver hauliers whose truck is their home and who place great value on individual style and high comfort, as well as having a strong emotional tie to their vehicle.

Edition 2 is offered for all two- and three-axle variants of the current Actros generation with GigaSpace and BigSpace cabs as a left-hand or right-hand drive. The cab paint is freely selectable and can be tailored specifically to the customer’s company colours, while the vehicle front is always painted in moonstone grey metallic, which ensures a high recognition value. The Edition 2’s series equipment contains the following six packages:

Safety Package with a number of active safety driver assistance systems Comfort Package with LED ambient lighting, driving and living, shaving mirror, refrigerator etc. Driving Package with leather steering wheel, electric roller sunblind and more

Sight Package with, among others, bi-xenon headlights, rain sensor and LED rear lamps Media Package with sound system, notebook holder, additional 12/15 V socket

Extra Line with LED position lights in the MirrorCam, LED indicators and Welcome Light

Mercedes Benz Trucks’ target with the Edition 2 is the same as its goal with the current Actros generation: to contribute to accident-free traffic and advance toward the vision of fully accident-free driving by utilising active safety assistance systems. For this purpose, the Edition 2 is equipped with the emergency braking assistance system Active Brake Assist in its fifth generation (ABA 5), the optional Active Drive Assist (ADA) for partially

automated driving (SAE level 2), the standard award-winning MirrorCam that replaces main and wide-angle mirrors as well as Sideguard Assist with pedestrian and cyclist detection available ex-works. In conjunction with these assistance systems, the further developed Predictive Powertrain Control (PPC) is also impressive. The system is not only able to save a lot of fuel, but is also a relief for the driver on rural routes.

The driver can manage and control the activities and functions of the assistance systems such as ABA 5, ADA or PPC in the user-friendly multimedia cockpit, with its two colour displays forming the centrepiece of the Human-Machine Interface (HMI). In addition, further HMI innovations such as the display of the next navigation event in the primary display or the total weight of the tractor unit and trailer are also included.