Daimler Trucks is taking the next logical step in the electrification of trucks with the battery-electric low-floor truck Mercedes-Benz eEconic. Customer testing of the eEconic for municipal use will begin in 2021. The experience gained from customer testing will flow directly into series production of the eEconic, which is to start in 2022. The eEconic is based on the eActros electric truck for heavy distribution, which will already go into series production in 2021.

The eEconic will at first be offered in the configuration 6×2/N NLA and is mainly in demand as a waste-collection vehicle. Battery-electric trucks are very well suited for urban use in waste management due to the comparatively short daily routes of up to 100 kilometres with a high proportion of stop-and-go in inner-city traffic. With an anticipatory driving style, electrical energy can be recovered during braking to charge the battery, which further improves range and efficiency.

“We at Daimler Trucks & Buses want to offer all our new vehicles with CO2-neutral driving operation in our main sales regions by 2039,” said Gesa Reimelt, head of the E-Mobility Group Daimler Trucks & Buses. “With our global platform strategy, we are applying uniform technologies and vehicle architectures also for electric vehicles worldwide, and can accelerate development enormously through synergies. The eEconic is based on our eActros, which is already in intensive practical use and will go into series production in 2021.”

The Mercedes-Benz eEconic‘s electric drive produces no local emissions and above all is quiet, characteristics that have a positive effect on the quality of life of residents and of the vehicle‘s occupants. The low-positioned DirectVision cab with a panoramic windscreen and glazed passenger door gives the driver direct visual contact with vulnerable road users such as cyclists and pedestrians – a crucial safety feature in road traffic. The driver is supported by a large number of intelligent safety-assistance systems such as Sideguard Assist. Driver and crew get in and out of the vehicle using only two steps on the side facing away from traffic. This makes exiting the cab safe and helps to avoid accidents. The comfortable standing height in the interior also facilitates access.