Hot on the heels of Daimler Trucks anouncement of its investment in automated truck technology it has also announced it is establishing a global organisation for e-mobility, including a new leadership function.
During the same Capital Market and Technology Days at Portland in the U.S.A, it presented two new, fully-electric trucks from Freightliner.
It presented the new Freightliner eCascadia, a heavy-duty over 15 tonne GVM electric truck for long-distance operations.
A fully-electric variant of the Freightliner eM2 106 covers the medium segment from nine to 12 tonne GVM. Daimler Trucks North America is planning to hand over an innovation fleet of around 30 electric trucks to its first customers in the U.S. this year.
The company statement said that ‘as is already the case with the fully-electric FUSO eCanter light truck and the medium Mercedes-Benz eActros, it is the company’s objective to gain experience in eTrucks by working together with customers to establish how electric trucks can be efficiently deployed in day-to-day transport operations’.
With the two e-trucks from Freightliner, the Mercedes-Benz eActros, the FUSO eCanter, the fully-electric Mercedes-Benz Citaro city bus and the Thomas Built Saf-T Liner C2 Jouley school bus, Daimler Trucks & Buses claims it already has the broadest portfolio of fully-electric commercial vehicles to be found anywhere.
Martin Daum Daimler board member in charge of Truck and Bus, said the company is the undisputed global leader of the trucking industry and it intends to remain in that position with electric trucks and buses.
“We were first-movers on electric trucks and strive to set the standard in each relevant segment. With the formation of our new global E-Mobility Group, we will maximize the impact of our investments in this key strategic technology. Thus, we can pursue the best solutions in batteries, charging solutions and energy management,” saqid Daum.
Daimler Trucks & Buses sees electric mobility as an innovation driver in the commercial vehicle industry and as a decisive factor for leading the transport sector into an emission-free future. In doing so, the following objective applies: e-mobility must be cost-effective – both for the customer and for the manufacturer.
In the future the E-Mobility Group (EMG) will define the strategy for electric components, complete electric vehicles, and develop a standardised, global electric architecture similar to Daimler Truck’s global platform strategy for conventional engines and drive components, across all brands and divisions.
EMG is set up globally with employees working in various locations throughout the company’s worldwide development network including Portland, Stuttgart and Kawasaki.
Effective from 1stJuly Gesa Reimelt, who is currently head of Product Projects Powertrain & eDrive Mercedes-Benz passenger cars, will become head of the new global cross-divisional organisation. In this function she will report to Dr. Frank Reintjes, head of Global Powertrain and Manufacturing Engineering at Daimler Trucks.
“We expect increasing demand for electric trucks and buses, and are also receiving these signals from our customers,” said Frank Reintjes, board member responsible for Global Powertrain and Manufacturing Engineering.
“Only manufacturers who lead the field in both conventional drive systems and electric drive systems are able to offer convincing solutions, technically and business-wise,” said Frank Reintjes.
“With regard to conventional powertrains, we have always benefited from our worldwide platform strategy. We will also be taking this approach for electric drive systems in the future. To this end, we are establishing the E-Mobility Group in which our experts from all functions around the world will work together on the best e-systems,” he said.
The company says it’s Freightliner eCascadia is based on its conventional Cascadia, the best selling Class 8 heavy-duty long-distance truck in the North American market.
It boasts 730 hp which the company says is almost silently generated under the characteristically long, U.S.-style hood. Its 550 kWh batteries provide enough energy for a range of up to 400 km, and can be recharged to around 80 percent within 90 minutes to cover a further 320 km (200 miles).
The Freightliner eM2 106 is aimed at local distribution operations and last-mile delivery services and its 325KWh batteries provide up to 480 hp and a range of around 370 km. The batteries can be recharged to around 80 percent within 60 minutes, sufficient for a range of around 300 km.
Frank Reintjes added that the m company wants to make its customers more successful with its trucks and buses.
“This applies to both electric trucks and conventional powertrains, hence we designed the Freightliner eCascadia and the eM2 here in the U.S., according to the specific requirements of our customers,” said Reintjes.
“As the undisputed market leader in North America, we know that only trucks and buses that fully meet the needs of transport operators will prevail in the market,” he added.,
DTNA says that before the end of this year a total of around 30 units of these models will go to the first customers in North America and says that with this innovation fleet it is working with transport companies in day-to-day operations to find out more about transport assignments for emission-free trucks, in order to respond to customer needs even better in the further development of electric drive systems.
