Mercedes Urban eTruck: First Fully Electric Truck

The Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck is based on a unique concept: its drive is by means of electric motors adjacent to the wheel hubs, while the power supply comes from a modular battery pack. This puts the Urban eTruck on a par with conventionally engined trucks when it comes to payload and suitability for everyday use. But at the same time, it is far more environmentally friendly, generates zero local emissions and makes barely any noise. The revolutionary technical concept is part of an integrated system for eTrucks with a made-to-measure telematics service in FleetBoard and power supply using stationary battery storage. Standard-production vehicles of this type would be conceivable from the start of the next decade.

For the Urban eTruck, the original low-floor axle has been provided with a liquid-cooled high-speed asynchronous three-phase motor on each side. The rated voltage is 400 V, while the maximum output is 2 x 125 kW. The engines have a peak torque of 2 x 500 Nm. In combination with the gearing, the torque at the wheel reaches 11 000 Nm.

A key advantage of electric motors: as the full pulling power is available from the start, the driving dynamics of the Urban eTruck are on a par with a diesel truck with comparable output.

The Urban eTruck comes with a basic battery pack of three modules with a total capacity of 212 kWh. This provides a range of up to 200 km, which is usually enough for a day’s delivery round. The batteries are of the lithium-ion type. They are sturdy and durable in equal measure. The cells are additionally charged during operation by regenerative braking, by converting the braking energy into electricity. When braking, the Urban eTruck’s electric motors act as generators and charge the batteries. This also reduces the strain on the service brakes

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