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NEWS
'Benz premieres Urban eTruck
Mercedes-Benz has debuted its innovative Urban eTruck at the IAA commercial vehicles expo in EuropeFollowing on from its first appearance in July 2016, Mercedes-Benz has hosted the world premiere of its Urban eTruck at the massive IAA commercial vehicles exhibition in Hannover, Germany.
While the eco-friendly concept vehicle first appeared with standard bodywork, at Hannover it was fitted with flowing and futuristic bodywork that's sure to grab plenty of global media attention, along with a modern and highly functional cab interior.
With a GVM of 26 tonnes and a range of up to 200 kilometres, the truck has electric motors adjacent to its wheel hubs and is powered by a modular lithium-ion battery pack, meaning zero emissions and near-silent operation.
The concept vehicle on show at the IAA is a three-axle truck fitted with a 7.4 metre refrigerated body.
The truck boasts the latest Mercedes-Benz FleetBoard telematics system that has been tailored for an urban distribution role. This allows greater flexibility for scheduling and even varies route planning according to the latest weather data, says the manufacturer.
The cab is a derivative of the existing Mercedes-Benz Antos truck, but instead of conventional instruments it features two informative screens.
The central 12.3-inch display shows a range of route information, which is integrated with a speed limit sign recognition system and topographic maps. Battery capacity is always prominently displayed, with what Mercedes-Benz terms as a 'range potato' – no, that's not a misprint – showing the truck's remaining range via a clever infographic.
The truck itself can be driven in any of three different drive modes: Auto, Agile or Eco. Auto is the truck's standard mode, while Agile is a high-power setting and Eco is a low-power setting.
It's clear Mercedes-Benz is positioning itself to gain the early advantage when it comes to all-electric trucks. However, competition looks set to heat up in this new road freight territory, with other endeavours like Nikola Motor and Tesla also recently unveiling their plans for emissions-free heavy transport. It's going to be an interesting ride…
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Written byTrucksales Staff
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