Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck will soon hit the road as the German company recently announced that they have started a small series production for its very first all-electric heavy commercial vehicle. They will also launch trials to customers in order to gauge and test the capacity of the vehicle on urban routes.
Stefan Buchner, the head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks worldwide, explains that they are currently talking to 20 potential customers, from different sectors such as logistics, foodstuff, and disposal. "With the small series, we are now rapidly taking the next step towards a series product. By 2020 we want to be on the market with the series generation," adds Buchner.
By simply looking at this all-electric commercial vehicle, it simply screams a futuristic hauling for industries. It wears slim LED headlights, as slim as they possibly can, and has an extreme cladding that covers the whole side of the truck, keeping efficiency as high as possible.
Meanwhile, the interior boasts a different story. It is more toned down compared to its extremely strong exterior. Instead of the side view mirrors, the truck is equipped with cameras on the side. These capture the outside world and then display on the screen inside the cabin, just right on the left side of the steering wheel.
Just like any 21st-century vehicle, it is equipped with the latest tech the market has to offer. On the center of the dashboard is a 12.3-inch infotainment display, showing detailed info of the upcoming route.
Mercedes-Benz added an extra feature so that the Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck stands out against its upcoming competition. A virtual monitoring system ensures that the truck can complete all intended routes without running out of juice. If it sees that the truck has been already pushed to its limits, then it changes the trucks mode.
Plus, a separate tablet keeps track of the battery life of this all-electric commercial vehicle. It also indicates how many miles to go before the Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck needs a re-charge.
Powering this all-electric commercial vehicle are 3 lithium-ion battery modules. It can reach up to approximately 124 miles, which according to the German automaker is enough to finish a day's worth of deliveries in urban areas. It can carry around 57320 pounds of cargo.
CNET notes that relatively, the Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck is not yet on sale. But the German automaker will be delivering a first batch of "low 2-figure" number to German customers for a 12-month test period and will come with a "special" charger.
Two sizes will be available: 18 tons and 25 tons. These will be offered in 3 configurations: refrigerated body, dry box body, and platform. And there will also be 3 driving modes: auto for standard travel, eco to allow the driver to stay on target, and agile for power mode.
The German automaker plans for a proper rollout of the Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck before 2020. For now, the company will continue with a small series of production of their all-electric commercial vehicle.
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