Electric vans and light trucks already exist. Mercedes now wants to launch the first heavy-duty truck with an electric drive. The small series model based on last year's IAA Urban eTruck study is to be made available to 2017 customers in Germany and Europe in a low double-digit number for one year. The manufacturer hopes that this will provide valuable practical experience with the new technology. 2020 is expected to start mass production.
The locally emission-free truck for distribution traffic has a permissible total weight of up to 25 tons, and a load of up to 12,8 tons is permitted. The e-truck will initially be delivered with a classic case, with a refrigerated body and as a platform truck. The main area of application is likely to be inner-city traffic, for example to supply shops.
Mercedes does not give precise technical data for the small series model. In the trade fair study, two electric motors on the rear axle provided propulsion. They provided a total output of 250 kW / 340 PS and a torque of 1.000 Nm. The three modular battery packs with a total output of 212 kWh are said to be good for a range of 200 kilometers, which is usually sufficient for a day trip in distribution transport. The charging time on an 100 kW column should be just over two hours. (Holger Holzer / SP-X)