Mercedes-Benz: This is how economical a heavy electric vehicle is 🎥
BESTANDEN The Mercedes-Benz eActros 300 as a tractor unit successfully completed tests in the Tyrolean mountains. Now a series start of the electrically driven truck is planned from the second half of 2023.
As part of a series of tests, the Mercedes eActros 300 tractor unit presented at the IAA Transportation 2022 in Hanover successfully crossed the Arlberg Pass. For this purpose, engineers from Mercedes-Benz Trucks fully loaded the semitrailer tractor to 40 tons.
The tests in Tyrol covered a distance of 111 kilometers at an altitude of over 1800 meters in places. In the process, the experts from Mercedes-Benz Trucks subjected the tractor unit and trailer to tests to validate performance and durability.
Challenging topography no problem
With recuperation, the energy recovered during braking is fed back into the batteries and is then available again for the drive. In this way, the electric tractor unit was able to recover around 180 kWh of energy. At the end of the tour, around 40 percent energy was still available.
Stina Fagerman, Head of Sales, Marketing and Services at Mercedes-Benz Trucks: "The intensive tests in Austria have shown that our e-truck can reliably perform its tasks even in particularly demanding topography with extreme inclines and declines. In total, the semitrailer tractor mastered 2300 meters of altitude during the test run - the maximum gradient was 13 percent. Series production of the eActros 300 tractor unit is scheduled to start in the second half of 2023."
Range of 220 kilometers after all
The model variant of the eActros 300 as a semitrailer tractor can pull all common European semitrailers, taking into account the maximum permissible overall towing length. The e-tractor is based on the same technology as the eActros 300/400. Three battery packs, each with a capacity of 112 kWh, still allow a range of up to 220 kilometers.
The technological heart of the electric truck is the drive unit, an electric rigid axle with two integrated electric motors and 2-speed transmission. The two motors generate a continuous output of 330 kW and a peak output of 400 kW.
