Commercial, Energy Efficiency  -  August 1, 2016

Mercedes-Benz charges forward with eTruck

As technology catches up with vision, Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz and Daimler Trucks brands debuted an all-electric heavy-duty truck capable of hauling 29 tons with a range of up to 124 miles, The Verge  reported July 28.

The three-axle "Urban eTruck," intended for short-range deliveries, is built on a Mercedes-Benz hybrid-bus design that incorporates an electrically driven rear axle. A trio of lithium-ion battery modules under the cargo bed powers the system.

Daimler and Mercedes have been testing light-duty electric vehicles over the last year, according to the report, including scaled-down versions of the Urban eTruck. As the costs associated with designing electric motors for large trucks become less prohibitive, other companies are also hopping on the eTruck bandwagon, including Elon Musk's Tesla Motors Inc., which is exploring tractor-trailer designs, and smaller businesses such as Charge and Nikola Motor Co.

Daimler expects its Urban eTruck to begin production in the early 2020s, The Verge reported.

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