The first Mercedes-Benz medium-duty 100% electric truck – the eActros 300 – has officially launched in New Zealand following 4,000km of testing on the country’s roads.
Keith Andrews product planning manager Matt Gillatt said with a range of more than 300km on a single charge, the eActros 300 is perfectly suited to medium-duty metro and inter-regional work.
“Local testing, fully loaded with a 4.5T payload, achieved a 300km range with 20% battery charge remaining, which places it squarely in the market for metro operators and those driving between large population centres,” he said
Four and six-wheelers
Available in 4×2 or 6×2 rigid configurations, the eActros 300 is powered by three lithium-ion battery packs with a combined 336kWh capacity, which produces a peak performance output of 400kW and 330kW continuous output.
CCS Type 2 DC charging takes a battery from 20% to 80% in 75 minutes with a 150kW charger. Operators can also plan where they’ll charge by using the Mercedes-Benz range prediction tool, which has been tested to New Zealand conditions during local testing and validation.
Mercedes-Benz engineers have produced a bespoke eAxle for its electric units, which incorporates two electric motors driving through a two-speed transmission.
“The eAxle has fewer moving parts, which makes it highly efficient in operation,” said Gillatt.
“It also offers the same axle limits as a similar-sized diesel truck and its design enables positioning of the batteries for optimal weight distribution and performance.”
Premium comfort and safety
The M-Cab ClassicSpace cab gives drivers plenty of space to go about their work, while the driving position, instrument display and switchgear layout will be familiar to those who have driven a diesel Mercedes-Benz. Furthermore, noise has been reduced by approximately 50% (10dB) while a new EV-optimised multimedia cockpit features two 10-inch high-resolution information screens.
Like its premium diesel stablemates, eActros comes equipped with a range of advanced safety features as standard, including Active Brake Assist 5 with pedestrian detection, Advanced Emergency Braking, Stability Control Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Attention Assist, Stability Control Assist, and Tyre Pressure Monitoring.
A secondary safety feature is the Acoustic Vehicle Alert System, which sounds a warning when the vehicle travels at speeds of up to 60km/h to make other road users aware of the vehicle.
Second-generation MirrorCam system comes as standard, featuring two in-cab A-pillar mounted 15-inch monitors.
NZ Post has taken advantage of EECA funding to secure the services of the validation unit and Gillatt said operators shouldn’t hesitate if they want to add an eActros to their fleet.
“If you’re thinking about moving away from diesel engines, the time is now,” he said.
“The eActros has proven its ability to tackle predictable, inter-regional routes,while providing operators with a safe, comfortable, environmentally friendly and quiet working environment.”
