Mercedes-Benz Trucks will begin a local evaluation programme for the all-electric eActros in Australia and New Zealand early next year.
Initially, four eActros trucks will get to work in Australia and one unit will hit the road in New Zealand, with additional units to follow.
Dates for when the model will be made available to customers locally are not confirmed with the company saying it’s not ready to make that announcement at this stage.
The eActros has just been launched in Europe and adds to Daimler Trucks’ zero emissions offering. It follows the FusoeCanter which was the first series-manufactured electric truck from an OEM globally and launched here last year.
Mercedes-Benz Trucks Australia Pacific director Andrew Assimo says he’s looking forward to the start of the local evaluation programme.
“We are excited to conduct this extensive testing programme on the roads of Australia and New Zealand for the advanced and innovative all-electric eActros, a truck that represents an exciting new chapter for sustainable road transport in our region,” he says.
“Mercedes-Benz Trucks always makes sure the advanced technology we introduce locally is tailored for our unique conditions and meets the specific requirements of our customers with extensive local evaluation and it is no different with zero emission electric technology.”
Last year, Daimler Truck told investors it was “going full speed to win the race to zero emissions” and that includes battery as well as hydrogen fuel cell technology which is more suited to requirements of longer distances at higher weights.
While hydrogen fuel cell trucks are currently being tested, they are still some years away from introduction. Battery electric Mercedes-Benz trucks are already in production and out on the road with leading European fleets.
The company’s GenH2 fuel cell prototype is currently being put to the test on public roads in Germany. Series production of that model is expected in 2027 while customer trials are planned for 2023.
For the battery electric eActros, the focus is for heavy-duty short radius distribution. Development trucks have been working away in select fleets in Europe since 2018.
Assimo says Mercedes-Benz Trucks is excited to fulfill customer demand and bring the all-electric eActros to Australia and New Zealand.
“Our key customers are very passionate about advanced electric heavy vehicles and we are thrilled to begin the evaluation programme that will ensure our electric Actros will succeed in our market,” he says.
“We are excited to help our customers along their emission reduction pathways with class-leading original equipment manufacturer (OEM) trucks that are genuine workhorses and carry out their work in near silence producing zero local emissions,” Assimo adds.
While Mercedes-Benz Trucks is moving forward with battery electric technology, it is also helping traditional internal combustion engine customers drive down their emissions.
The company led the way in Australia with the first full range of Euro 6 heavy trucks with the new Actros in 2016 delivering fuel efficiency renowned across the industry. Further improvements of the Mercedes-Benz diesel Actors engines are also soon on the way.
