The rapid advancement of technology can leave us slightly complacent at times.
he iPod revolutionised how we stored and listened to music in 2001, the Blackberry revolutionised mobile phones in 2002, and Steve Jobs turned everything on its head when he presented the iPhone in 2007.
Consumers have since enthusiastically adopted such technologies which now play an increasing role in society’s everyday activities.
Electric Vehicles (EVs) have also progressed remarkably in the past few years and only a couple of weeks prior to a recent visit to Germany we were driving around Melbourne in a Mercedes Benz eActros 300 4×2 prime mover with a tri-axle semi attached and were impressed by the truck’s performance and range capability of 300 kilometres.
Mere days later in Germany we take the wheel of the next generation eActros 600 semi-trailer combination grossing 40 tonnes. Mercedes-Benz refer to the small fleet of test trucks made available to the media as “near-production” which is engineer-speak for saying there may be still a few minor tweaks to make, but these examples are very close to what will be going to market.
The test units are distinguished by their wraps and trailer curtains.
The futuristic-looking Mercedes-Benz ProCabin has a distinctive design which is all about aerodynamic efficiency and minimisation of energy consumption. Mercedes-Benz has also listened to drivers and incorporated some upgraded comforts including an improved slat style bed with a thicker mattress, as well as a second fridge.
Commencing our test drive from the Mercedes-Benz customer centre located at the sprawling Würth factory we travel a 72-kilometre circuit which includes some city and suburban driving, some narrow secondary roads out in the countryside and then the autobahn which, for the uninitiated, can be a real eye-opener.
Charging the near-series prototype of the eActros 600
As a road, the autobahn doesn’t appear to be much different from our own multi-lane freeways, yet the ‘fast’ lane (on the left in Europe, closest to the central median strip) has no set speed limit for most of the autobahn network and a “recommended” 130km/h over much of the other sections.
Despite cars travelling at such speeds driver behaviour is the key and slower traffic (including our eActros which has to adhere to the 80 km/hr truck limit) does not even contemplate moving into the fast lane, unlike the lane hogs in Australia who frustratingly seem to get away with inappropriate speeds and create dangerous situations for themselves and others by being in the wrong lane.
The drive for the eActros 600 is through an 800-volt eAxle with two electric motors combined with a four-speed transmission. This delivers a continuous output of 400kW (536hp) with a peak availability of 600kW (an impressive 804hp).
The four-speed transmission also contributes to the effectiveness of the regenerative braking by overdriving the motors when they are switched to regenerator mode.
At 40 tonnes gross the acceleration is remarkable and cruising at 80 km/h seems effortless as the truck just glides along. At 60 km/h with the radio volume subdued, the only noises to be heard in the cab are the air compressor and the HVAC fan.
Move a little faster and some wind and tyre noise does creep into the cab, but it is minimal in comparison even with the current crop of diesel trucks. The eActros 600 has three battery packs, each rated at 207 kWh, resulting in a total installed capacity of 621 kWh.
The batteries are based on lithium iron phosphate cell technology and are engineered and managed to provide a long service life. In addition to CCS charging with up to 400kW, the vehicle is also capable of megawatt charging (MCS) with the batteries charged from 20 to 80 per cent in approximately 30 minutes at a charging station with a charging power of around one megawatt.
Developments in charging capabilities are also rapidly advancing and Mercedes-Benz engineers report they have successfully charged the eActros 600 to 1,000 kilowatts in an internal test.
The eActros 600 is equipped with a High Power Brake Resistor (HBPR) system which converts excess electricity produced during regeneration braking into heat if the batteries are already fully charged. On the eActros 300 models we drove in Australia a couple of heat exchangers are mounted on the back of the cab.
On the eActros 600 we drive in Germany the HPBR is integral, and the heat is dissipated underneath the truck. The HPBR is required to comply with the latest European regulations which require all trucks including EVs to have a secondary braking system, such as a diesel’s engine brake, in addition to service brakes.
The driver can select from five different regenerative braking levels via the operation of the control stalk on the steering column.
Mercedes-Benz’s Predictive Powertrain Control (PPC) is as effective in this EV as it is in trucks powered by internal combustion engines and promotes the most efficient operation of the truck with the additional EV-specific benefits of minimising battery drain and maximising regenerative braking.
These are achieved in part by taking advantage of the truck’s kinetic energy and harnessing downhill momentum to assist in subsequent uphill gradients, and all the while still maintaining acceptable point to point operational times.
PPC recognises the upcoming topography of the road via its three -dimensional mapping function and uses route information from the navigation system to minimise unnecessary braking, acceleration and gearshifts, and to use the battery energy as efficiently as possible.
The actual energy consumption and the resulting range depends on multiple factors such as weight, tyre rolling resistance, temperature, weather conditions, traffic volume, topography, driving mode and, the big influencer, driving style.
Energy consumption also depends on which of the three drive programs is selected.
“Range” mode restricts motor output to 70 per cent and road speed to 82 km/h, “Economy” mode permits 85 per cent of power and 85 km/h, and “Boost” mode delivers 100 per cent power and a maximum of 90 km/h.
We mainly keep driving in “Range” mode and a check of the calculations at the completion of our circuit shows the eActros’s energy consumption to be around 111kWh per 100 kilometres, in this instance delivering a theoretical range of about 540 kilometres, which certainly is impressive for this type and weight of truck.
The Interactive 2 multimedia cockpit provides continuous information on the state of charge of the batteries, the anticipated remaining range, and the current and average energy consumption in kWh per 100 kilometres.
Driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road in the northern hemisphere can be a bit daunting as spatial awareness can be compromised and is not helped by Europe’s penchant for roundabouts and the involvement of a mobile camera crew seemingly intent upon straying into the danger zone and getting very close to the truck while chasing good images.
One way of ensuring we keep to our lane is to keep an eye on the eActros’s MirrorCam screens and judge the truck’s overall position on the road by where the trailer appears to be tracking.
This is helped further by the second-generation Sideguard Assist 2 which now monitors the traffic on the driver’s side as well as the front passenger’s side.
In addition, the system has an intelligent lane change warning, depending on the truck’s position in the lane, and can support drivers on both sides when changing lanes.
The inherent safety of the eActros 600 is built around a new electronics platform using advanced sensor fusion to merge radar and camera data and thus enable an even wider-area view to the front and sides.
The electronics platform offers a 20 times higher data processing capacity than previously, and the total of six installed sensors can now cover an angle of 270 degrees around the vehicle.
The ‘600’ is equipped with the sixth generation Active Brake Assist 6 which is capable of performing automated full stop braking for pedestrians and cyclists at speeds of up to 60 km/h. A further benefit of the system is multi-lane monitoring at a distance of up to 180 metres to the front for detection of hazards including slower vehicles.
Other systems to benefit from the 270-degree fusion technology are incorporated, such as Active Drive Assist 3 for partially automated driving (SAE Level 2), Front Guard Assist for monitoring the traffic space directly in front of the vehicle, and Traffic Sign Assist for real-time traffic sign recognition.
In addition, the eActros 600 is equipped with an EU-compliant external Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) so that pedestrians or cyclists can be made aware of the low-noise electric truck in their vicinities.
The start of series production of the eActros 600 is planned for the end of 2024 and construction material giant Holcim has already placed an order for 1,000 of them.
Meantime the eActros 300 rigid and eActros 300 prime mover are arguably the most advanced electric trucks in their respective classes in Australia and are available here right now.
“The remarkable eActros 600 provides a vision of what can be achieved in the future of electric trucking and moves the focus of our electric offering further out from the city-focused eActros 300 models,” says Daimler Trucks Australia’s Vice President Andrew Assimo.
“We are currently looking at the role the exciting eActros 600, or a version of it, can play in Australia and will be conducting a local evaluation program next year.”
Travel a few hundred kilometres in Europe and you could be crossing several countries and the eActros 600’s range of around 500 kilometres or more, without any intermediate charging, mightn’t yet manage the entire run of the Hume or the Bruce, but it certainly provides enough juice for practical applications such as multiple trips to the container docks or from DCs to regional centres on Australia’s east coast.
