Mercedes Introduces Urban eTruck, the All-Electric Heavy Truck

The German automaker just unveiled a heavy electrical truck, which features technology that might enter into production by the start of the next years.

The Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck is the very first totally electric truck planned for heavy distribution operations, as per the automaker, and it’s capable of transporting 26 metric tons.

“Electric drive systems previously only saw extremely restricted use in trucks,” Daimler truck boss Wolfgang Bernhard stated. “Nowadays costs, performance and charging times develop further so quickly that now there is a trend reversal in the distribution sector: the time is ripe for the electric truck.”

If you’re believing this is a truck that will carry big loads across the country, reconsider. The truck is planned for short, regional trips, as it only has a range of 124 miles. Three lithium-ion battery modules supply power to the truck and are housed in a crash-proof place inside the frame. Electric motors sit surrounding to the wheel centers.

Even prior to the introduction of Urban eTruck, Daimler had already debuted other zero-emissions trucks. Daimler, which owns a nearly-90-percent stake in Mitsubishi’s spin-off truck brand name Fuso, has been checking the Fuso Canter E-Cell light distribution truck in customer trials from 2014. Its hydrogen fuel cell trucks traveled over 31,000 miles in simply one year of testing, despite that the truck also offers a minimal variety. Mercedes says it overcomes 62 miles of range.