Daimler To Do Pilot Run Of Mercedes-Benz Urban e-Trucks

February 21st, 2017 by James Ayre

Daimler will be manufacturing a small run of Mercedes-Benz Urban e-Trucks following the positive reception of the concept at the 2016 IAA Commercial Vehicles trade show, and in anticipation of a further large-scale rollout of the technology, according to a new press release from the German giant.

This initial “small run” will be provisioning a select group of customers with the new all-electric large commercial trucks — with the idea being to identify potential problems during a 12-month trial period. Deliveries of this first small run are expected to begin later in 2017. Deliveries will begin in Germany, before then expanding to other European countries.

The company is reportedly aiming to begin full-scale production by 2020.

The trucks feature 212 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery packs, allowing for a range of around 124 miles per charge, according to the company. They feature front- and rear-mounted electric motors, providing a combined 250 kW (335 hp) and 737 lb-ft of torque. Payload capacity is rated up to 12.8 tons, with a permitted gross vehicle weight of 18-tons or 25-tons.

“The test vehicles will be equipped with either a refrigerated or dry box body. A platform load bed is also available. The prospective customers are in the trash hauling business and the freight distribution sector,” sister site Gas2 reports.

“In addition to its Mercedes Benz truck division, Daimler also owns Freightliner, Mitsubishi Fuso, Western Star, and Thomas Built Buses. Mercedes has just announced it is in talks with 20 companies interested in testing its Urban eTruck electric truck for a year. “

In addition to the small run of Mercedes-Benz Urban e-Trucks, Daimler is also reportedly planning to begin low-volume production of the Fuso eCanter truck later this year. This small run will be distributed to customers spread across Europe, the US, and Japan.

“The light duty eCanter electric van has already completed two real world trials and is substantially upgraded with more power. Customers can select a range of battery packs from 70 kWh to 100 kWh, depending on their needs and budget. The eCanter is also configurable to suit the needs of a diverse customer base that includes trades people, florists, delivery companies and others.”











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