Mercedes 500km electric truck is almost ready

New electric vehicles are quickly arriving on the streets and not just cars falling into this category; commercial vehicle manufacturers have also recently presented their highest expressions in terms of electrification. A clear example comes from the German brand Mercedes-Benz Trucks which already has electric commercial models in production and recently announced a new long-haul variant that will arrive in a couple of years.

The eActros LongHaul will offer a autonomy of approximately 500 km and will go into series production in 2024; Mercedes is already hard at work testing the 40-ton truck and says its engineers will begin testing on public roads by the end of the year. The company's goal is to become zero-emission in Europe, America and Japan by 2039.

While electric vans, such as those used for deliveries, now reach autonomies similar to those of their endothermic counterparts, we cannot say the same for trailers. At present the difference is still marked and a diesel truck is able to cover much longer distances with a single tank. In any case, we believe it is stimulating that electrification also passes for bison on the road, although there are no details regarding the charging process and the related time required to reach maximum autonomy. As early as July, Mercedes Truck will have two eActros variants and a new Econic intended for urban travel. The Econic is a smaller commercial truck with special equipment for firefighters, short-haul deliveries, waste disposal, construction sites and more.

To emphasize the potential of the solutions, Mercedes will hold a week-long event in Germany to educate customers on topics ranging from infrastructure to electric models, with actual tests with payloads close to reality. At the charging infrastructure level, Mercedes is collaborating with Siemens Smart Infrastructure to support the charging needs of its trucks already in depots; on the road, however, a joint venture with Volvo and Traton Group will allow Mercedes to develop a high-performance charging infrastructure for long-haul electric trucks and buses across Europe. Although the eActros is impressive, Mercedes is not the first on the market with a semi electric. Both Nikola and Tesla have been developing similar solutions for some time now and the first productions will soon arrive on the market; automotive-related challenges could therefore shift rapidly to heavier vehicles as well.