Daimler starts work on eEconic

Daimler Trucks will be releasing its battery-electric eEconic truck for testing next year with series production starting in 2022.

The eEconic is a low-floor truck mainly for waste collection use and is based on the eActros which is already undergoing testing and due for release in 2021.

With urban driving, electrical energy can be recovered during braking to charge the battery, which further improves range and efficiency.

Daimler Trucks and Buses e-mobility head Gesa Reimelt says the company is aiming to be carbon neutral across its product range in major markets by 2039.

“With our global platform strategy, we are applying uniform technologies and vehicle architectures also for electric vehicles worldwide, and can accelerate development enormously through synergies,” Reimelt says.

Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks sales and marketing head Dr Ralf Forcher says the eEconic “is a major milestone for the sustainable organisation of municipal logistics”.

“Thanks to its application profile, the vehicle is ideally suited for electrification … for example, in waste collection with stop-and-go traffic and plannable daily tours.

“It combines two important features, especially for use in urban areas. It is locally emission-free and very quiet,” Forcher says.

In New Zealand and Australia, the dual control waste industry-specific Econic was released in 2016.

It features steering and controls from either side of the cab with drivers able to operate the truck close to the kerb.