Mercedes-Benz presents “first fully electric truck for heavy distribution operations”

Daimler Trucks presented the Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck in Stuttgart yesterday (27 July), as “the first fully electric truck with an admissible total weight of up to 26 tonnes”. According to a statement issued by Daimler: “This means that in the future, heavy trucks will take part in urban distribution operations with zero local emissions and hardly a whisper.”

Daimler said that a market launch of this technology is “conceivable…  at the beginning of the next decade”.

Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard, responsible for Daimler Trucks & Buses at the Board of Management, commented: “Electric drive systems previously only saw extremely limited use in trucks. Nowadays costs, performance and charging times develop further so rapidly that now there is a trend reversal in the distribution sector: the time is ripe for the electric truck.

“In light distribution trucks, our Fuso Canter E-Cell has already been undergoing intensive customer trials since 2014. And with the Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck, we are now electrifying the heavy distribution segment up to 26 tonnes. We intend to establish electric driving as systematically as autonomous and connected driving.”

Stefan Buchner, Head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks, added: “With the Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck, we are underlining our intention to systematically developing the electric drive in trucks to series production maturity. This means that we will begin to integrate customers, so as to gain valuable joint experience with respect to the operating ranges and the charging infrastructure in daily transport operations.”

Companies involved in trialing the light distribution trucks reportedly include the courier firm Hermes.