The Mercedes-Benz Trucks team loading the semi to its full 40 ton capacity and put it through a series of tests top make sure it was up for the job. A special focus was put on energy recovery through recuperation, which can be used extensively in the alpine topography of Tyrol.
During recuperation, energy gained during braking is returned to the eActros' batteries and is then made available to the drive unit. In this way, the electric tractor unit was able to recover a total of around 180 kWh of energy. At the end of the demanding tour, about 40 percent of the energy was still available.
In total, the electric semi-trailer climbed 2,300 meters in altitude during the test - the maximum grade was at 13 percent. On the way to the test area, the truck's batteries were only charged at public charging stations. Series production launch of the eActros 300 semitrailer tractor is planned for the second half of 2023.
Mercedes-Benz eActros
In the past, the eActros for heavy-duty distribution transport, which has been rolling off the assembly line at the Wörth am Rhein plant since October 2021, has already been put through its paces. For example, near-series production e-trucks crossed the Alps in South Tyrol, climbing a total of 54,000 meters in elevation during the test. The vehicles reached the highest point during measured runs on the Kaunertal Glacier at 2,750 meters. In Granada, Spain, the eActros completed summer tests in very high temperatures of up to 45°C, while it proved itself in the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi, Finland, in snow and ice with frosty temperatures down to -25°C.
The eActros 300 tractor model can pull all standard European semi-trailers, taking into account the maximum permissible total length. The electric semitrailer tractor is based on the same technology as the eActros 300/400. Three battery packs, each with an installed battery capacity of 112 kWh, enable a range of up to 220 km on a single battery charge.
The technological heart of the electric truck is the drive unit, an electric rigid axle with two integrated electric motors and a two-speed gearbox. The two liquid-cooled motors generate a continuous output of 330 kW and a peak output of 400 kW. The eActros 300 tractor can be charged with up to 160 kW: The three battery packs need a little more than an hour to be charged from 20 to 80 percent at a standard DC fast charging station with a charging current of 400 A.
Source: Daimler Truck
