Automotive

Daimler electric trucks to deliver cost savings in Stuttgart

View 14 Images
Having demonstrated the savings available to buyers in Portugal, Daimler is running a test of its E-Cell Fuso trucks in Stuttgart
There's very little difference between regular trucks and the electric Fuso inside
Charging takes seven hours on a regular wall socket or one hour on a quick charger
The E-Cell puts its power down through a single speed gearbox
The battery packs add about 600 kg to the truck's total weight
Daimler is keen to prove the cost benefits of using electric trucks for short range work
The E-Cell's underbody looks very different to a regular truck's setup
The Canter E-Cell has a range of around 100 km
The tipper trucks will be used for construction and landscaping work
Daimler experienced cost savings of up to 64 percent when it trialled electric trucks in Portugal
The trucks should more than enough range for mundane day-to-day deliveries, although they're not able to tackle any long range stuff
The trial involves tipper trucks and box-bodied trucks
The tippers will be used for landscaping duties
Having demonstrated the savings available to buyers in Portugal, Daimler is running a test of its E-Cell Fuso trucks in Stuttgart
The batteries are attached to the side of the truck's frame
View gallery - 14 images

As electric cars careen towards the mainstream, the world's truck manufacturers are also working to make the most of battery power to cut local CO2 emissions and running costs. Daimler is attempting to demonstrate the benefits of moving to electric trucks by running four Fuso E-Cell trucks in Stuttgart, where they'll deal with everything from road construction to furniture delivery.

Daimler's Stuttgart test comes on the back of a similar exercise in Portugal, where freight companies and horticultural businesses found the six-tonne Canter trucks were up to 64 percent less expensive than diesel trucks to run. With a range just over 100 km (62 mi), which is on par with the electric trucks doing deliveries for BMW around Munich, the Canter E-Cell was able to handle most short-range delivery and urban transport needs with range to spare at the end of the day.

Having charged the trucks for seven hours on a regular socket, or just one hour on a quick charger, Daimler says owners can expect a savings of up to €1,000 (US$1,135) for every 10,000 km (6214 mi) travelled.

The E-Cell's underbody looks very different to a regular truck's setup

Power comes from battery packs mounted to the sides of the truck's frame. As is the case with passenger cars, the batteries are very heavy, adding 600 kg (1,323 lb) to the Canter E-Cell's curb weight, but Fuso claims the trucks are still sprightly off the line thanks to their beefy 650 Nm (479 lb.ft) of torque. The permanent-magnet motor is attached to the rear wheels, and puts its power down through a single speed gearbox.

One of the biggest concerns for people constantly driving around densely populated areas is avoiding people, so Fuso has fitted a subtle external audio system to warn people there's a quiet, six-tonne truck zipping past.

The Stuttgart test will see two electric Fusos fitted with tipper bodies for road construction and landscaping, while the other two will have box bodies for furniture transport and waste bin deliveries.

Source: Daimler

View gallery - 14 images
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Flipboard
  • LinkedIn
2 comments
Gizmowiz
The future is bright indeed for EV's the world over. Hopefully by 2050 all current ICE machines will have been relegated to museums. This includes Semi trucks as well as basic freight delivery trucks, buses, and the ever polluting common pickup truck driven by hundreds of millions for towing. The world might just survive yet.
habakak
@VincentWolf....fear not. 2050 is a long way away. Even 18 wheelers by then might not be ICE based anymore. Buses and all other forms truck and car will be fully electric by then. Autonomous vehicles will also make driving more efficient, so you would need less power to move the same stuff (which will be a problem for trucks going electric for a while). But in 35 years (at current rates) battery densities should be at least 6 to 8 times higher than today. With just one more doubling from current levels ICE's are already not competitive anymore. GW is something people won't talk much about anymore in 20 years.