At this year’s Bauma Fair (Munich, October 24–30) Mercedes-Benz Trucks is presenting several fully battery-electric trucks for construction site applications.
At the event – world’s leading construction machinery trade fair – Mercedes-Benz Trucks is showing the concept prototype of the eActros LongHaul, which was presented for the first time at the IAA Transportation in September, with an electric power take-off for semi-trailers such as tippers. This makes the e-truck suitable for deliveries to construction sites and can replace previous diesel-based drive solutions both in terms of transport and the power take-off.
Mercedes-Benz Trucks has already been equipping the eActros, brought into series production in 2021, for heavy-duty distribution with the appropriate electric power take-off for several months. Together with partners, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is also presenting for the first time a battery-electric prototype of the Arocs construction site truck as a truck mixer, characterized by its ground clearance and off-road mobility.
About every fifth Mercedes-Benz truck sold in Europe is in the construction site segment, which is the second-most important market segment for the manufacturer after long-distance transport. It therefore plays a special role in the electrification of truck transport. By 2030 commercial vehicles that are CO2-neutral in driving operation should account for up to 60% of Daimler Truck sales in EU30 markets.
eActros LongHaul for first time with electric power take-off for semi-trailers. In cooperation with the Munich tipper manufacturer MEILLER, Mercedes-Benz Trucks has developed an electric power take-off for various types of trailers. This makes it possible to efficiently electrify hydraulic work equipment for use at construction sites, such as tipping semi-trailers or walking floor trailers.
The system, developed for the eActros LongHaul and presented as a prototype at bauma, has a continuous output of 58 kW. In series production the electric power take-off is planned to generate significantly more power. Torque of the prototype is 300N·m.
The electric power take-off converts direct current from the eActros LongHaul’s batteries into alternating current via an inverter attached to the rear of the driver’s cab. An additional electric motor drives the pump, which provides hydraulic power to operate the trailer.
The compactness of the system allows eActros LongHaul to be operated with a standard trailer—a great advantage for transport companies that use the vehicle for a wide variety of applications.
The series-production eActros LongHaul will have a range of around 500 kilometers on a single battery charge and will be capable of megawatt charging. The batteries used in the eActros LongHaul employ lithium-iron phosphate cell technology (LFP). These are characterized, above all, by a long service life and more usable energy. The batteries of the production eActros LongHaul can be charged from 20 to 80% in well under 30 minutes at a charging station with an output of about one megawatt.
The first prototypes are already undergoing intensive tests and the eActros LongHaul will be tested on public roads this year. In the coming year, near-series production prototypes will be delivered to customers for testing. Development engineers at Mercedes-Benz Trucks design the eActros LongHaul to meet the same durability requirements of the vehicle and components as a comparable conventional heavy-duty long-distance Actros. That means 1.2 million kilometers in ten years of operation. The vehicle is planned to be ready for series production in 2024.