Daimler helps break down EV barriers

Daimler Trucks and Buses is helping customers put electric vehicles on the road thanks to a range of new services.

The company’s E-Mobility Group has been set up to provide customer consultation and help with the installation of suitable charging infrastructure.

The initial focus will be on its Europe, North America and Japan markets with services provided to its electric vehicle customers.

“As pioneers of e-mobility, our battery-electric trucks are already undergoing extensive practical trials around the world,” E-Mobility head Gesa Reimelt says.

“Thanks to the close exchange with our customers, we understood early on the need to think far beyond the e-vehicle.

“That is why we offer an ecosystem tailored to the use case and needs of customers, including consulting and charging infrastructure solutions. This is how we want to provide our customers with the ideal entry into e-mobility,” Reimelt says.

As part of the initiative, Daimler Trucks will soon be offering its free ‘eTruck Ready’ app which helps customers determine operating profiles and routes suitable for an electric truck.

The smartphone app records the driving routes of a conventional vehicle and captures speed, acceleration and altitude profile along the route.

Important details such as payload and the outside temperature can be added afterwards by fleet managers through a web portal.

From this data, the programme calculates the range and expected power consumption of a suitable electric truck from the Daimler range. This helps creates a realistic usage profile for customers.

The data calculated by the app, set to launch in 2020, will play a big role in customer consultation.

The tailored services will include recommendations of possible route optimisation for electric trucks and suitable charging infrastructure.

Individual operating cost analysis can also be taken into account along with public funding opportunities.

Charging solutions are also offered in the service with analysis of the depots available.

The Daimler consultants outline the charging stations suitable with factors such as charging location and charging time taken into account.