Photo: New electric trucks Freightliner eCascadia and Freightliner eM2

Daimler Trucks is establishing a global organisation for e-mobility, including a new leadership function, and has presented two new, fully electric trucks from Freightliner.

Daimler Trucks presented the new Freightliner eCascadia, a heavy-duty electric truck for long-distance operations (>15 t GVW) in Portland (Oregon). A fully electric variant of the Freightliner eM2 106 covers the medium segment (9 to 12 t GVW). Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) is planning to hand over an innovation fleet of around 30 electric trucks to its first customers in the US this year. It is the company’s objective to gain experience in e-Trucks by working together with customers to establish how electric trucks can be efficiently deployed in day-to-day transport operations.

With the two e-trucks from Freightliner, the Mercedes-Benz eActros, the FUSO eCanter, the fully electric Mercedes-Benz Citaro city bus and the Thomas Built Saf-T Liner C2 Jouley school bus, Daimler Trucks & Buses already has the broadest portfolio of fully electric commercial vehicles to be found anywhere.

“We are the undisputed global leader of the trucking industry and we intend to remain in that position with electric trucks and buses,” said Martin Daum, member of the Daimler management board for Trucks and Buses. “We were first-movers on electric trucks and strive to set the standard in each relevant segment. With the formation of our new global E-Mobility Group, we will maximise the impact of our investments in this key strategic technology. Thus, we can pursue the best solutions in batteries, charging solutions and energy management.”

Daimler Trucks & Buses sees electric mobility as an innovation driver in the commercial vehicle industry and as a decisive factor for leading the transport sector into an emission-free future. In doing so, the following objective applies: e-mobility must be cost-effective – both for the customer and for the manufacturer.

Across all brands and divisions, the EMG will define the strategy for electric components, complete electric vehicles, and develop a standardised, global electric architecture similar to Daimler Truck‘s global platform strategy for conventional engines and drive components. Gesa Reimelt, currently head of product projects powertrain and eDrive Mercedes-Benz passenger cars, will head this new organisation from 1 July, reporting to Dr Frank Reintjes, head of global powertrain and manufacturing engineering at Daimler Trucks.

Freightliner eCascadia and eM2 for the NAFTA region

The Freightliner eCascadia is based on the Cascadia, the most successful heavy-duty long-distance truck (class 8) in the North American market. 730 hp is almost silently generated under the characteristically long, US-style hood. At 550 kWh, its batteries provide enough energy for a range of up to 400km, and can be recharged to around 80 percent within 90 minutes to cover a further 320km.

The Freightliner eM2 106 is intended for local distribution operations and last-mile delivery services. The batteries of the new electric version provide 325 KWh for up to 480hp. The range of the eM2 is around 370km. The batteries can be recharged to around 80 percent within 60 minutes, sufficient for a range of around 300km.