The house of the German star is carrying out an experiment started in July 2 years ago, about its fully electric traction truck. Let's see the partial results.

When it comes to sustainable mobility, our neurons are immediately linked to the concept of cars. Many do not know what has been concretely achieved up to now also in the world of electric-powered trucks. While politics is continuing to debate whether it is cheaper to have an electric-powered truck or a hydrogen-powered truck in the next 20 or 30 years, Mercedes is continuing to develop a very interesting trial.

Since January, his eActros in electric version has traveled around 300 km every day on some routes that in the future will be equipped with overhead power lines for pantograph vehicles.

In fact, in Germany there are some lines that have already been partially equipped with power line cables, just as we find in our cities for trolleybuses. The concept is very simple. Mercedes is trying to understand the convenience of using trucks with simple electric energy deriving from batteries, or also add the question of the pantograph and therefore allow the trucks to connect to the power lines.

About 50,000 km have been covered so far, made only with electric batteries.

Given the excellent result in terms of performance, Mercedes has decided to extend the testing phase in order to maximize the performance of the batteries with the data obtained . Furthermore, positioning the truck along the lines that will be fully equipped with overhead power lines for pantograph vehicles, will allow the trucks to eventually modify the route in complete freedom.

In the second phase of the project, Mercedes has in mind to develop a comparison between the fully electric traction truck deriving from the batteries, with the trolleybus of eWayBW.

Mercedes, it should be said right away, currently has no plans to develop trucks also equipped with pantographs . This test therefore aims to optimize the current Actros in the fully electric battery version and see any other actions to be developed.

Be careful though! You will not simply go and observe a direct comparison between the Mercedes electric truck and the wire trucks. Looking closely, Mercedes also expects a direct comparison with other fuel cell trucks from other manufacturers. As a complete decision has not yet been observed in terms of choosing between electric trucks or hydrogen trucks, at the present stage of development, one or the other form of propulsion cannot currently be ruled out.

The main goal of the German automotive company is to be able to have vehicles that are able to have zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2039 in Europe, Japan and North America. This strategy, already by 2022, will give the European, US and Japanese sales regions the opportunity to have vehicles equipped with battery-electric propulsion. The arrival of Mercedes hydrogen is scheduled for around 2025.

credit photo Mercedes media press
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