The race is on to dominate much-needed carbon neutrality in the global road freight market and German original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Daimler believes it is leading the pack with a new range of electric-powered trucks launched in South Africa last week.

Speaking at the Lanseria e-mobility event, Daimler Truck SA President and Group CEO, Maretha Gerber, said there was no cooling off from the trajectory the world has been placed on through global warming of 1,1 degrees Celsius a year. “It is predicted that 7% of the carbon emissions come from the commercial vehicle industry today,” she said.

Daimler Truck SA introduced its first fully battery-electric truck range, the Mercedes-Benz eActros 300, comprising a 4x2 and 6x2 rigid, along with a truck-tractor variant. Also launched was the eActros 400 6x2 rigid and eCanter range. This range offers zero emission during operation and focuses on light and heavy-duty distribution applications for now until local vehicle weight and length legislation allows the introduction of long-haul application vehicles. The eActros range is immediately available for sale to customers.

Daimler Truck SA also announced its ongoing strategic plans for the FUSO eCanter range, which entails the roll-out of extended collaborative trials with its customers. With a portfolio that comprises six units, each unit will be allocated to a customer for a three-month trial period, specifically for in-city distribution. The objective of these extended trials is for customers to establish performance and infrastructure requirements to successfully run battery-electric trucks in their fleets.

The FUSO eCanter journey in South Africa commenced in 2020 when the brand became the first OEM to bring a 100% electric truck to South Africa. eCanter will be available for sale on operating lease after the completion of customer trials.

“A significant investment from various parties as well as support and collaboration across the industry are required to make battery-electric truck operations a viable solution in South Africa, especially when it comes to charging infrastructure,” said Gerber.

The eCanter

The eCanter has six high-voltage battery packs with battery capacity of 83 kWh and a travel range of up to 100 km. The charging time for the eCanter, on quick charge, is maximum one hour and 30 minutes on a 50 kW DC charger and 11 hours on regular charging. The eCanter has a single-speed transmission with a gross vehicle mass of 7,5 tons and a body and payload capacity of 4,2 tons. The electric motor performance generates 135 kW and 390 Nm torque.

The eActros

The eActros 300 has three lithium-ion battery packs with battery capacity of 336 kWh and offers a travel range of up to 330 km. The eActros 300 charges its batteries from 20% to 80% at 160 kW in one hour and 15 minutes. The gross vehicle mass of the eActros 300 rigid variants ranges from 19 tons to 27 tons, offering body and payloads ranging from 8,2 tons to 16,1 tons. The eActros 300 truck tractor has a gross combination mass of 40 tons.

The eActros 400 is equipped with four lithium-ion battery packs with battery capacity of 4 482 kWh and offers a travel range of up to 400 km. The eActros 400 charges its batteries from 20% to 80% at 160 kW in one hour and 40 minutes. The eActros 400 has a gross vehicle mass of 27 tons, offering a body and payload of up to 15,4 tons.

Both the eActros 300 and eActros 400 have a drive unit comprising a rigid electric axle with two integrated, liquid-cooled electric motors and a two-speed transmission that delivers continuous output of 330 kW and a peak output of 400 kW.