Mercedes-Benz Trucks will begin validation trials for the all-electric eEconic in New Zealand and Australia from early next year.

One of the trucks will operate in New Zealand while three will operate in Australia.

The eEconic is designed to work in densely populated areas. The truck produces zero local emissions and the powertrain operates near-silently.

Production of the eEconic recently began at the Mercedes-Benz Trucks factory in Worth, Germany.

“Waste collection represents the perfect application for a near-silent electric truck that produces zero local emissions as these vehicles operate on the doorsteps of our community,” said Mercedes-Benz Trucks Australia Pacific director, Andrew Assimo.

“We are excited to work with our Australian and New Zealand customers to validate the remarkable zero-emission eEconic, which is also fully-loaded with the latest Mercedes-Benz Trucks active safety technology.”

The eEconic validation trial announcement comes soon after Mercedes-Benz Trucks confirmed it was also conducting a local validation trial of the eActros electric truck, with four units to operate in Australia and one running in New Zealand, with additional units to follow.

The eEconic uses much the same electric drivetrain as the eActros. It has been designed to cover the vast majority of typical waste collection routes operated by an Econic in a single shift without intermediary charging.

The electric drivetrain enables a level cab floor to be used, allowing easy movement through the cab. This is particularly advantageous when the driver wishes to leave the vehicle through the folding door on the co-driver’s side, well out of the way of traffic.