The eTruck is based on a heavy-duty, three axle short-radius Mercedes-Benz distribution truck. However, the company has replaced the conventional drivetrain by a new electrically driven rear axle with motors directly adjacent to the wheel hubs.
This design was derived from the electric rear axle developed for the Mercedes-Benz Citaro hybrid bus—another technology that is likely to spread if cities ban internal combustion engines.
Power is supplied by a battery pack consisting of three lithium-ion battery modules housed in a crash-proof location inside the frame.
Daimler Trucks has been demonstrating the day-to-day suitability of electric trucks in customer trials with the Fuso Canter E-Cell for the past two years. Until recently, the use of electric drive systems in trucks has been impractical due to the high cost of batteries and their relatively low range.
However, the company expects battery costs to lower by a factor of 2.5 between 1997 and 2025, from €500 (USD$549)/kWh to €200 ($220)/kWh. The company also expects performance to improve by the same factor over the same period, from 80 Wh/kg to 200 Wh/kg.
“We intend to establish electric driving as systematically as autonomous and connected driving," Bernhard added.
Many European cities, including London and Paris, are already considering a ban on internal combustion engines in city centers. These would make electric trucks vital to distributing goods to these urban areas.
The company expects the market launch of this technology to come at the beginning of the next decade.
For more on the future of heavy-duty trucks, meet Nikola, the Tesla of Semi-Trucks.