At the just began IAA International Commercial Vehicle Show in Hannover, global CV major Daimler has unveiled the much awaited all-electric Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck - a short-radius distribution vehicle best suited for everyday intra-city operations. This triple-axle truck with a GVW of 26-tonnes produces no emissions and runs silently, thanks to its pure-electric drive with electrically powered rear axle and electric motors nearby to the wheel hubs. The 'future' truck also boasts a number of interesting connectivity, vehicle informatics and telematics technologies that seems to link two megatrends of the CV industry - digitalisation and e-mobility.
The Urban eTruck is powered by 212 kWh-capacity lithium-ion battery pack, with modular design making it light and space-saving, that sends power to two electric motors of 125 kW each situated on the rear axle, producing an overall torque of 2 x 500 Nm. With an overall driving range of 200 km on full charge, the company claims that the eTruck meets the typical everyday's delivery requirements in the European market. The truck weights an additional 1700 kg as against a similar diesel engine powered truck owing to the heaviness of the batteries.
 |
| Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck has an electric driving range of 200 km on full charge, with 26-tonne GVW |
Design wise, the new truck is as innovative as its electric drive. Sporting strong Mercedes-Benz truck styling cues, the eTruck cab brings sleek and fluid contours with less detailing and no visible joints. The traditional air inlets are missing (as there is no diesel engine inside to be cooled), but you find a back-lit panel grille with LED technology to create some visual impressions - like showing operating status or to charge level of the batteries! Moving across the roof, the 3D-like spoiler leads to the body of the truck, along with the catchy aerodynamic skirt panels on the sides. The regular outside mirrors are replaced with mirror cams - a unique feature of this truck.
 |
| Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck: Clever design and technologies make this truck efficient |
Daimler's electric truck can run in three driving modes - Auto, Agile and Eco settings - depending on the driving conditions and target range. There is a digital tablet for the driver's use, which brings out every vehicular, navigation, and 'range potato' data. The eTruck also boasts tech-features like Predictive Charge Management, Proactive Cruise control and FleetBoard that creates a seamlessly interconnected system using range and load management, vehicle information and peripheral data.
Also Read: Mercedes-Benz Future Bus With CityPilot: Ingenious Self-Driving City Bus
Also Read: Mercedes-Benz Future Bus With CityPilot: Ingenious Self-Driving City Bus
The Urban eTruck rightly holds its own against a diesel-powered truck of same capacity in terms of load and performance, thanks to the nexus of efficient electric drive and digital techs. The company also adds that the truck is economical to use in the long-run.
