(July 27, 2021) STUTTGART, Germany — Mercedes-Benz Trucks is pushing ahead with the development of the battery-electric eEconic for municipal operations in multiple intensive trial series. The test engineers’ focus is on trials of the vehicle’s safety, performance and durability. The eEconic will also have to prove itself in tests of the batteries and the electric powertrain in summer and in winter.

The vehicle is also being subjected to additional testing concepts such as noise measurements, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and test drives on the rough road. Once the tests have been concluded, the eEconic will head for the next step — customer trials in real-life operation. The start of series production of the eEconic in Mercedes-Benz’ Wörth plant is scheduled for the second half of 2022.

The eEconic’s vehicle architecture benefits from Daimler Trucks’ global platform strategy. The low-floor truck is based on the eActros for heavy-duty distribution operations, which celebrated its digital world premiere at the end of June. As a result, the central technical specifications of the eEconic are largely identical to those of the eActros. The eEconic, in its configuration as a refuse collection vehicle, will in future be able to cover the vast majority of the Econic’s typical refuse collection routes without needing to recharge en route.

Dr Ralf Forcher, Head of Mercedes Benz Special Trucks, says, “We are subjecting the eEconic to an extremely wide range of test series, and the results to date have shown that we are on the right track with our concept. The eEconic is ideally suited for its designated role as a refuse collection vehicle. The high proportion of stop-and-go driving, reliably plannable daily routes averaging 100 km and the charging of the batteries at the customers’ depots add up to an ideal application for the mission profile of the battery-electric low-floor truck.”

The eEconic with a gross vehicle weight rating of 27 tons will initially be launched on the market in its configuration as a refuse collection vehicle with the wheel configuration 6x2/ NLA. As is the case with the eActros, the technological heart of the eEconic is the drive unit — an electric axle with two integrated electric motors and a two-speed transmission. The battery of the eEconic series-production model will be equipped with three battery packs, each with an energy capacity of around 105 kWh.

The proven features of the conventional Econic that are especially treasured by customers are also part of the eEconic. For example, the deep panoramic windscreen of the “DirectVision cab” with its low seat position provides the driver with direct visual contact with other road users and enables an extremely good overview of the road traffic. In addition, the low entry and exit of the spacious cab, which offers space for up to four people, provides an ergonomic advantage.