Video: Mercedes-Benz eActros to enter NZ fleets

The all-electric 19-tonne Mercedes-Benz eActros is set to officially launch in New Zealand following a year of validation testing on local roads.

The 4×2 cab chassis model was put through its paces in the North Island with customer participation alongside commercial vehicle dealership Keith Andrews.

Local testing achieved up to 300km with 20% battery charge remaining on a payload of around 4.5 tonnes.

The eActros was first revealed in New Zealand at EROAD’s Hamilton Fleet Day in July last year and Keith Andrews expects to officially launch the model in May.

Testing of the model has also taken place in the South Island with Daimler Truck dealer network partner CablePrice NZ.

Development eActros trucks have been at work in select fleets in Europe since 2018 and series production began at Daimler’s the Wörth plant in Germany in 2021.

The model is Daimler’s first heavy-duty zero-emission truck and follows the launch of its light-duty Fuso eCanter as the world’s first series-produced electric truck. The first eCanter arrived in New Zealand in 2021.

For the eActros, there are two 4×2 models and three 6×2 options planned for the range and both configurations will be available in New Zealand.

Keith Andrews alternative fuels transition manager Matt Gillatt says there has been a lot of customer interest in the eActros and the team is exited to get it in local fleets.

“People may have seen it at the Brisbane Truck Show and quite a few have now seen it on the road around Auckland,” he says.

The all-electric model is packed with next-generation battery technology, alongside advanced safety and driver assistance systems, plus online performance monitoring and data collection. 

“The customer validation went well. We’ve worked with various companies and created real-world data to test the Mercedes-Benz range prediction software for New Zealand,” Gillatt says.

“Customers worked the truck in the greater Auckland region, with one customer making a return trip to Hamilton with ease.

“The range of the eActros is showing that it is capable of more than just last mile metro delivery; it will definitely have a place in zero-emission inter-regional delivery fleets,” he adds.

The model features three lithium-ion battery packs with 336kWh capacity and can charge from 20%-80% in an hour with a standard DC fast charge.

It delivers 536hp (400kW) peak performance and 443hp (330kW) continuous output with two-speed transmission.

The five-stage regenerative braking system works like an engine brake to both preserve the service brakes and generate electricity to charge the batteries.

It is fitted with a pedestrian alert system with an acoustic warning that sounds when it travels at speeds of up to 60km/h to make other road users aware of the vehicle.

Cabin noise is also significantly reduced to around 10dB.

Advanced features, such as Active Brake Assist 5, Electronic Stability Control, SideGuard Assist, MirrorCam, and Predictive Powertrain Control, which helped the diesel Actros win the 2020 International Truck of the Year contest, will also be available in the electric version. 

Gillatt says it has been great to learn about the eActros from a technical support and service point of view.

The team will use its knowledge in helping customers transition into electric vehicles, he adds.

The eActros has already won the prestigious Truck Innovation Award judged by the International Truck of the Year (IToY) jury in 2020.

The jury praised the handling characteristics of the battery-powered truck in distribution applications and its performance in terms of acceleration and driveability.