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Aug 21, 2020 at 7:00 AMDB Schenker delivers a 25-ton Mercedes eActros to customers in downtown Leipzig. The logistics service provider is already gaining experience with other battery-electric trucks from Daimler Trucks: five light FUSO eCanters are in operation in Germany and France.
(Stuttgart/Leipzig) As the first customer in the second testing phase in Germany, DB Schenker is taking over a battery-electric eActros from the so-called “innovation fleet.” The leading company in global logistics services uses the 25-ton truck for the delivery of general cargo, i.e., palletized shipments that are too large and heavy for parcel delivery, in downtown Leipzig. The eActros, which has a range of around 200 km, covers about 100 km daily. The batteries of the electric truck are charged overnight at DB Schenker’s depot in the northern part of the city via a charging station. For over a year, DB Schenker has also been using five light FUSO eCanters from Daimler Trucks in Berlin, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, and Paris in practical operations.
Kick-off in Early August
In early August 2020, the kick-off for the second testing phase of the Mercedes-Benz eActros innovation fleet took place with a customer in the Netherlands. Now, more of the purely battery-electric trucks are gradually being delivered to customers in Germany and Belgium.
Rico Claassen, Key Account Management at Mercedes-Benz Trucks: “The eActros has been proving itself since 2018 in diverse practical applications with customers as a locally CO2-neutral alternative for urban distribution traffic. The test customers of the second phase are also using the eActros for tasks that would otherwise be handled by conventional trucks. The body variants range from refrigerated boxes to dry freight boxes to tarpaulins. We are pleased that DB Schenker, as a pioneer for alternative drives in transport logistics, is now also electrifying downtown Leipzig with the eActros.”
DB Schenker: Green Logistics with the Mercedes-Benz eActros
Wolfgang Janda, Senior Vice President Head of Network & Line Haul Management at DB Schenker: “As a pioneer of innovative logistics solutions with a company-wide fleet of more than 30,000 vehicles, we at DB Schenker have set ourselves the goal of becoming the world’s leading provider of green logistics. Our success is not only based on our reliable logistics services but also on our social and ecological commitment. This naturally includes a vehicle mix with alternative drives. The light FUSO eCanter from Daimler Trucks has already proven its everyday suitability in various cities. Now we are curious to see how the eActros will perform in downtown Leipzig. As the market leader in Europe for land transport, we must take on a pioneering role from this position.”
Numerous Insights Gained from the First Phase
Among the numerous insights gained from the practical tests of the first testing phase is that the eActros’s range of around 200 kilometers has proven to be absolutely realistic – regardless of payload, route profile, or topography. In urban traffic, highway, or long-distance journeys, the eActros is on par with a conventional diesel truck in terms of availability and performance delivery. The cooling system for the cargo as well as the air conditioning – both electrically operated – have functioned without restrictions in extreme heat as well as in winter conditions. Drivers are very pleased with the continuous availability of torque across the entire speed range. They also report particularly on the quiet driving experience and a pleasant, calm driving feel. Additionally, with anticipatory driving through recuperation, i.e., engine braking, electrical energy can be recovered. It is then rarely necessary to apply the brake pedal.
Swap Box from Schmitz Cargobull
The Schmitz Cargobull swap box W.BO for dry freight transport is a smooth-walled box made of steel construction with various equipment options such as double-deck systems, roller doors, and a standard keyhole system.
The eActros: Locally CO2-Neutral Alternative for Urban Distribution Traffic
The eActros is based on the chassis of the Mercedes-Benz Actros. Furthermore, the architecture of the vehicle is completely designed for electric drive and has a high proportion of specific parts. Two electric motors near the wheel hubs of the rear axle provide the drive with a power of 126 kW each and a maximum torque of 485 Nm each. This results in a total of 11,000 Nm after the translation. A performance that is comparable to that of a conventional truck. Lithium-ion batteries with 240 kWh provide the energy for the eActros. Depending on the available charging power, the batteries can be fully charged within two hours (at 150 kW).
The development and testing of heavy electric trucks in distribution traffic is partially funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMU) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) as part of the “Concept ELV²” project.
Photo: © Mercedes-Benz
