Global logistics company DB Schenker has received a battery-electric Mercedes-Benz eActros for the delivery of palletised goods in the city centre of Leipzig, Germany.
The 25-tonne eActros has a range of approximately 200km and will cover about 100km daily. The vehicle’s batteries will be charged overnight at DB Schenker’s facility in the north of the city.
For more than a year, DB Schenker has also been operating five Fuso eCanter light-duty trucks from Daimler Trucks in Berlin, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Paris.
Wolfgang Janda, senior vice president and head of network and line haul management at DB Schenker, said: “As a pioneer for innovative logistic solutions with a company-wide fleet 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 based not only on our reliable logistics services, but also on our commitment to society and the environment.
“This naturally includes a vehicle mix with alternative drive systems. The light-duty Fuso eCanter from Daimler Trucks has already proven its suitability for everyday use in various cities. We are now looking forward to seeing how the eActros performs in Leipzig city centre.”
Designed to rival a conventional truck in terms of availability and performance in urban traffic, on highways or on overland routes, the eActros features two electric motors positioned close to the rear-axle wheel hubs, providing drive with a power output of 126kW each and maximum torque of 485Nm each. However, torque is increased to 11,000Nm each after the transmission ratio.
Meanwhile, a 240kWh lithium-ion battery system supplies the truck’s energy. Depending on the available charging power, the batteries can be fully charged within two hours (at 150kW).
The eActros also features electrically operated cooling and air-conditioning systems, as well as regenerative braking, which recovers electrical energy that would otherwise be lost through conventional motor braking.
Furthermore, the zero-emission truck’s W.BO swap body from Schmitz Cargobull for dry-goods transport comprises a smooth-wall box in steel construction with various equipment options such as double-decker system and roller door, and a keyhole system as standard.
The development and testing of heavy-duty electric trucks in distribution transport is receiving support from Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment and Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, as part of the Concept ELV² project.
