Electric eActros on test in the Alps
Electric prime mover and trailer at 40t hauls through alpine regions of Austria
As part of a series of tests the fully electric eActros 300 prime mover has successfully crossed the Arlberg Pass in Austria.
For the test, the engineers from Mercedes-Benz Trucks loaded the semi-trailer to 40 tonnes. The tests in Tyrol covered a total distance of 111 kilometres, at an elevation of more than 1800 metres.
The engineers subjected the rig to tests to validate its performance and durability with a special focus on energy recovery through regenerative braking, which can be used extensively in the alpine topography of Tyrol.
With regeneration, energy gained during braking is returned to the eActros' batteries and is then made available to the drive unit. During the test, the electric prime mover was able to recover a total of around 180kWh of energy.
At the end of the demanding run, about 40 per cent of the truck's energy capacity was still available.
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“The tractor unit version of the eActros 300 expands the application options of the eActros for heavy-duty distribution transport,” said Stina Fagerman, Head of Sales, Marketing and Services at Mercedes-Benz Trucks.
“The intensive tests in Austria have shown our electric truck can reliably fulfill its tasks, even in a particularly challenging topography with extreme uphill and downhill grades,” Fagerman added.
In total, the electric semi-trailer climbed 2300 meters in altitude during the test with a maximum grade of 13 per cent.
Series production launch of the eActros 300 prime mover is planned for the second half of 2023.
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