Several vehicle innovations were presented to the public by Mercedes-Benz Trucks. In doing so, the focus was especially on the electrification of the product portfolio. The company identifies with the Paris Climate Agreement and its aim of decarbonising the sector. CO2-neutral transport on the roads by 2050 is the ultimate goal.
“At Mercedes-Benz Trucks we are fully committed to locally CO2-neutral transport. In 2030, we want more than half of our new vehicles sold in Europe to be locally emission-free,” said Karin Rådström, Member of the Board of Management at Daimler Truck AG, responsible for Mercedes-Benz Trucks at the “Shaping the Now & Next 2021” event and thus indicating the company’s target for the coming years. “To make that happen, there is no one-size-fits-all, no silver bullet. In line with the different use cases of our customers, we follow a dual electrification strategy based on battery- and fuel cell-electric trucks. But there is more action needed – in terms of infrastructure as well as a reliable regulatory framework.”
The eActros for heavy distribution haulage, presented recently in June 2021 and scheduled to go into full-scale production in Wörth from October 2021 as well as the eEconic for municipal use to follow in the second half of 2022 are already fully electrified and locally CO2-neutral. Intensive testing is still underway at present, after which the eEconic will move on to practical trials with customers. The key technical specifications are largely identical to those of the eActros; the eEconic waste collection vehicle is designed to cover the vast majority of the typical collection routes run by an Econic with no need for interim charging. Even before full-scale production has started a waste disposal company in Denmark has already placed an order for eleven eEconic vehicles. From 2024, the eActros LongHaul which is also battery-electric is planned to be ready for series production and 2027 will see the first series-production GenH2 Trucks with hydrogen-based fuel cell drive roll off the production line on their way to customers. Both vehicles will enable locally CO2-neutral road freight haulage on long-distance routes.
“Working with and for our customers to find the perfect solution has always been something special to me – because every customer has their own individual requirements and challenges that need to be met,” pointed out Andreas von Wallfeld, Head of Marketing, Sales & Services at Mercedes-Benz Trucks. “To be real partners, we do two main things: first, we listen really carefully to what our customers are saying. Secondly we develop our trucks – no matter whether they have classic diesel engines or are electrified – and services to serve a particular purpose: to contribute to the success of our customers.”
At Mercedes-Benz Trucks event, “Shaping the Now & Next 2021“the manufacturer not only provided information about its fully electric vehicles, but also presented consulting services such as eConsulting and strategic partnerships in the areas of fleet integration, charging infrastructure and grid connection. MB Trucks also presented its latest models from the classic diesel segment such as the Actros F, Actros L and Edition 2.