You might be forgiven for not even noticing the eActros, Xcient FCEV or the Scania 25Ps in their smart blue and red NZ Post livery next to their peers. Only when you get up close do you notice their respective ‘Electric Vehicle’ and ‘Hydrogen Vehicle’ decals and the script ‘Delivering more (except emissions)’ on their curtains.

However, the keen-eyed bloke who pulled up his Honda Accord next to the eActros while we were waiting at the lights on Auckland’s Greville Road offramp certainly did. Maybe it was the branding or the lack of diesel-engine clatter that got his attention – either way, he made full use of his time stopped, craning his neck out the window to have a good look.

“People actually do look at it in traffic and on the motorway. Someone even took a picture of it!” says driver Ajay Kumar. “Other drivers have asked about it too, taken it for a drive. They also like it,” he adds as we pull away smoothly and silently.

eActros on an easy cruise up the motorway.

We’re on our way back to the North Shore depot from the Hibiscus Coast operations centre in Silverdale. Ajay completes five of these 46km cycles Monday to Friday and ends with an evening run to the APC and back. In the mornings, another driver kicks off the day with an early run between Ellerslie and the North Shore, and pops the truck back on its charger to top up for Ajay. That’s approximately 390km altogether, and Ajay is able to complete his shift on one charge before the eActros is parked at its charger at the North Shore depot and left to rejuvenate until work starts again at 3am the following morning.

This range capacity from the truck’s three 336kWh lithium-ion battery packs has been a game- changer compared with the eCanter Ajay was on previously, which had to be plugged in and topped up at each stop. Average economy over truck’s life so far is 93.9kWh/100km.

“This run has grown a lot and become busy with everything moving north,” says 51-year-old Ajay, who has been with NZ Post for 17 years and driven for Lal’s Transport for 14 years.

eActros cab is comfortable and spacious for a day on the road

Being a much larger vehicle, it’s also doubled the carrying capacity to 12 NZ Post roller cages. This being our heaviest load of the day so far, we’re carrying 11 cages, which equate to about 4.4 tonnes. The weight is barely noticeable compared with when Ajay is returning empty cages to Silverdale. Whether we’re threading through traffic or keeping pace on the motorway, the eActros acquits itself with minimal fuss, accelerating smoothly and easily, with the two-speed transmission shifting at 30km/h, and its electric torque carrying us on from there.

Ajay has five stages of regenerative braking at his disposal, operating as any conventional retarder would, with the added benefit of adding a bit of charge back to the batteries.

“It is soft, easy, very smooth, quiet … Very different, but very good,” says Ajay about working an electric truck. The sound meter returns a perfectly acceptable 70dB at 90km/h, marginally quieter than a diesel Arocs in numbers but noticeably so in the cab.

An ideal day cab, the M Cab ClassicSpace offers the driver a good amount of space and comfort and easily accessible storage. Ajay enjoys the full benefits of Mercedes-Benz Actros tech, with the brand’s MultiMedia Cockpit and MirrorCam options we’re now quite familiar with. “The MirrorCams are good. They work well, fine with reversing and at night, and great in the rain,” Ajay reckons. Of course, the full suite of active safety systems is present and correct, too.

“I think they’re good trucks for the future, and I’m grateful NZ Post gave me the opportunity to try it out as a brand-new truck,” says Ajay.

Batteries, electrics and the Mercedes-Benz eAxle are all are well protected.

The owner of Lal’s Transport is Ramesh Lal, who has a 30-year history with NZ Post and currently runs 14 Post trucks on the North Shore and one in Hamilton.

He says other than an issue with the power steering pump, which was solved quickly by Keith Andrews Trucks, the eActros hasn’t put a foot wrong in 11,000km so far. “Keith Andrews has been great, and so far, the truck has been good. It’s great for the new generation and I fully recommend other contractors to look into it. Fully loaded, it does the same job at the same speed as any other truck.”

The eActros is one of two eActros 300 4×2 rigid units and two 4×2 tractor units Keith Andrews Trucks initially brought into the country. Matt Gillatt, product planning and alternative fuels transition manager, says the company is monitoring the truck to gain meaningful data on its operation. “It’s fitted with the Mercedes-Benz telematics platform, so we’re keeping an eye on it month by month. All is going well at this early stage, though. Our stated range is a conservative number and NZ Post is able to achieve good range due to weight and the driver’s ability to create range with the regenerative braking.

“NZ Post has done an amazing job taking on the eCanter and now the eActros. They are really setting up their contractors to succeed.”

eActros swallows up 12 NZ Post roll cages meaning no loss in productivity.

SPECIFICATIONS
Mercedes-Benz eActros 300 L 4×2 M-cab ClassicSpace