Mercedes-Benz Trucks continues to drive the electrification of transport forward at full speed. At this year’s bauma, the world’s leading construction industry trade show that takes place in Munich from October 24th to 30th, the manufacturer presents several fully battery-electric trucks for construction site applications.
At the event, Mercedes-Benz Trucks shows the concept prototype of the eActros LongHaul, which was presented for the first time at the IAA Transportation in September, with an electric power take-off for semi-trailers such as tippers. This makes the e-truck suitable for deliveries to construction sites and can replace previous diesel-based drive solutions both in terms of transport and the power take-off. Mercedes-Benz Trucks has already been equipping the eActros, brought into series production in 2021, for heavy-duty distribution with the appropriate electric power take-off for several months. Together with partners, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is also presenting for the first time a battery-electric prototype of the Arocs construction site truck as a truck mixer, characterized by its ground clearance and off-road mobility.
About every fifth Mercedes-Benz truck sold in Europe is in the construction site segment, which is the second most important market segment for the manufacturer after long-distance transport. It therefore plays a special role in the electrification of truck transport. By 2030 commercial vehicles that are CO2-neutral in driving operation should account for up to 60 percent of Daimler Truck sales in EU30 markets.
eActros LongHaul for first time with electric power take-off for semi-trailers
In cooperation with the Munich tipper manufacturer MEILLER, Mercedes-Benz Trucks has developed an electric power take-off for various types of trailers. This makes it possible to efficiently electrify hydraulic work equipment for use at construction sites, such as tipping semi-trailers or walking floor trailers. The system, developed for the eActros LongHaul and presented as a prototype at bauma, has a continuous output of 58 kW. In series production the electric power take-off is planned to generate significantly more power. Torque of the prototype is 300 Nm. The electric power take-off converts direct current from the eActros LongHaul’s batteries into alternating current via an inverter attached to the rear of the driver’s cab. An additional electric motor drives the pump, which provides hydraulic power to operate the trailer. Advantages of this solution compared to the previous diesel-based drive: Locally CO2 neutral and greatly reduced noise, especially relevant for use in cities and residential areas. The compactness of the system allows eActros LongHaul to be operated with a standard trailer – a great advantage for transport companies that use the vehicle for a wide variety of applications.
The series-production eActros LongHaul will have a range of around 500 kilometers on a single battery charge and will be capable of megawatt charging. The batteries used in the eActros LongHaul employ lithium-iron phosphate cell technology (LFP). These are characterized, above all, by a long service life and more usable energy. The batteries of the production eActros LongHaul can be charged from 20 to 80 percent in well under 30 minutes at a charging station with an output of about one megawatt.
The first prototypes are already undergoing intensive tests and the eActros LongHaul will be tested on public roads this year. In the coming year, near-series production prototypes will be delivered to customers for testing. Development engineers at Mercedes-Benz Trucks design the eActros LongHaul to meet the same durability requirements of the vehicle and components as a comparable conventional heavy-duty long-distance Actros. That means 1.2 million kilometers in ten years of operation. The vehicle is planned to be ready for series production in 2024.
Electrified Arocs construction site truck as “Prototype Battery-Electric Arocs”
The Arocs is the particularly robust and durable construction site truck from Mercedes-Benz Trucks meant for tough jobs. In the future it will also be available as a battery-electric vehicle. In a first step, this will be implemented through a collaboration between Mercedes-Benz Trucks and the Paul Group. The company based in Passau, Germany, is electrifying the truck supplied by Mercedes-Benz Trucks from its Wörth truck plant with an electric drive train. Paul opted for an electrified central motor solution. In this way, the tried-and-tested planetary axles of the Arocs can be used to continue to offer the ground clearance and off-road mobility required for construction site use. The prototype of the “Battery-Electric Arocs” shown at bauma in Munich is equipped with an electric truck mixer body from LIEBHERR-Mischtechnik, which draws its energy from the Arocs’ batteries via an electric power take-off and has a rated capacity of nine cubic meters.
The Paul Group specifies a continuous output of more than 300 kW and a peak output of more than 400 kW for the vehicle’s electric drive train. The Battery-Electric Arocs can be configured with either six or seven battery packs, each with 60 kWh of usable energy. According to Paul, ranges of well over 200 kilometers are possible. The Battery-Electric Arocs has a future-proof 800 volt on-board electrical system and, according to the Paul Group, can be charged from 20 to 80 percent at a 150 kW charging station within around 1.5 hours with six battery packs.
In the small series from the end of 2023, configurations are available flexibly as 4 and 3 axles for LIEBHERR truck mixers, flatbed and tipping applications. Paul will primarily handle sales as well as all service and maintenance of the trucks.
Efficient construction traffic with diesel-powered trucks
In addition to electric trucks, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is also showing selected diesel-powered trucks for construction site applications at bauma. Highlights include the Actros L Edition 3 and various Arocs models with bodies from several partners, an Atego with a 3-way tipper and a Unimog.
The third generation OM 471 engine, with fuel savings of up to four percent, has been available for all Actros and Arocs models since October 2022. This engine is characterized by a large number of technical innovations that are consistently geared toward reducing the total cost of ownership (TCO) with regard to fuel-efficient driving, reduced CO2 emissions, lower operating costs and higher returns — without sacrificing performance, driving dynamics or driving comfort. For even better driving dynamics, Mercedes-Benz Trucks has further developed the entire drive train. The new automated transmission control PowerShift Advanced enables faster and, at the same time, smoother starts and acceleration in many situations thanks to the precise gear selection. PowerShift Advanced will be available for all engine variants in Mercedes-Benz Trucks as of April 2023.
In order to make Arocs more durable still, a new front axle with an axle load of 10 tons has been developed. This enables, among other things, the installation of larger cranes and work equipment.