The purely battery-powered Mercedes-Benz eActros is used by logistics service provider Logistik Schmitt near Rastatt. As part of the many years of practical testing of the heavy electric truck in the region, comparative runs with the eWayBW overhead line project in the Murgtal valley and surrounding area are also planned. The official handover of the eActros to Logistik Schmitt took place at the beginning of the year during the annual press conference of Daimler Trucks in Gaggenau.
The 25-ton truck travels between the Logistik Schmitt warehouse in Ötigheim and the Rastatt section of the Mercedes-Benz Gaggenau plant about seven kilometers away. Logistik Schmitt uses the eActros instead of a conventional diesel truck to transport gearbox housings. With a range of around 200 kilometers, the eActros covers a daily distance of around 168 kilometers in a demanding three-shift operation.
Previous experience with the eActros reinforces Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ goal: Series production from 2021 onwards
Stefan Buchner, Head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks: “The Mercedes-Benz eActros is now an integral part of everyday life for our test customers in Germany and Switzerland. In this area, the eActros has already covered several tens of thousands of kilometers purely battery-operated. The eActros successfully fulfils its mission even when fully charged and in hot or cold conditions. This reaffirms our goal of enabling local zero-emission delivery traffic with heavy production vehicles from 2021 onwards. We are delighted to be working with Logistik Schmitt to push ahead with testing the eActros, because we will build on the experience we gained during the comparison runs with the eWayBW overhead line project. We are very optimistic about the initial positive feedback from Logistik Schmitt.
The eActros currently being used at Logistik Schmitt is very promising
Rainer Schmitt, Managing Partner of Logistik Schmitt: ” We are an innovative logistics company that contributes to making our industry environmentally friendly. Thanks to the Mercedes-Benz eActros, we operate quietly and emission-free on site. In addition, we are absolutely flexible and mobile. The real-world application shows: The eActros is perfect for shuttle services. It is reliable, ready-to-use and its range safely covers the daily workload”.
“We worked closely with the experts from Mercedes-Benz Trucks to clarify the central questions regarding the deployment profile and the necessary charging infrastructure in advance. At the beginning of the eActros, our drivers underwent comprehensive training and instruction in electric forklift trucks. The eActros now handles weights of up to twelve tons and carries out twelve daily tours with a total of 168 kilometers. It is recharged via a portable charging station between the individual tours during the loading and unloading processes on our premises,” Schmitt continues.
Next project phases: An enhanced version of the eActros compared to catenary trucks
As part of the eWayBW project, freight traffic on the B462 near Rastatt is to be electrified and tested using diesel hybrid catenary vehicles. At the same time, comparative tests of the eActros for the catenary project will be carried out. An improved version of the eActros with higher tonnage and range will be used.
Second phase: Parallel operation of the eActros with the catenary truck on the B462
With the enhanced version of the eActros, Logistik Schmitt will deliver axle components from the warehouse in Ötigheim to the Mercedes-Benz plant in Gaggenau, a good 14 kilometers away, mainly via the B462. This route thus largely corresponds to that of the catenary project. The specifications of the eActros will be similar to those of the catenary vehicles in terms of performance as well. The approximately one-year simultaneous operation of eActros and catenary vehicles provides the most important data and findings for the comparison of both concepts, for example with regard to the operational capability of the vehicles.
Third phase: Mercedes-Benz eActros vs. eWayBW truck in a direct comparison
It is planned to make a direct comparison with the catenary vehicle during this phase. The eActros will run on the exact overhead line for about one to two weeks. This will serve to validate the second phase. In a direct comparison, the eActros – like the overhead line project trucks – transports paper rolls along the approximately 18-kilometer route from the paper mills in Gernsbach-Obertsrot to the Fahrner logistics location in Kuppenheim.
