Daimler Trucks’ battery electric Innovation Fleet of medium-duty and HD trucks – Freightliner eCascadias in North American and Mercedes-Benz eActroses in Europe – have now clocked up big mileages of silent, emissions-free operation….in real-world applications.
In the United States, 30 trucks – eCascadias and eM2s – have run more than 300,000 miles (500,000 kilometres) in the past year, working in the fleets of the  giant Penske Truck Leasing and big Californian container carrier, NFI.
“Co-creation with our customers is a cornerstone of Freightliner’s unique approach to the market,” says Daimler Trucks North America senior vice president, on-highway sales and marketing, Richard Howard. 
“The knowledge and expertise our logistics customers have in fleet operations with their thousands of trucks is invaluable as we design and engineer the zero emissions future of the commercial vehicle. 
“Crossing the threshold of 300,000 miles of testing, then one million miles, then more – together – before we begin series production of battery-electric trucks will ensure we deliver the performance and reliability our customers count on and which has made Freightliner the undisputed leader in commercial trucks.”
The eCascadia is scheduled to begin series production in mid-2022, with the eM2 following later that year.
Meantime, in Europe, a similar (but smaller) testing programme – which has seen 10 customers using the eActros on daily working runs for about a year – is now going into a second phase.
Eight new customers around Europe are now each receiving an eActros, which they will run (along with two of the first-phase operators) for the next year.
Mercedes-Benz Trucks head of marketing, sales and services, Andreas von Wallfeld says that the test trucks have so far clocked up “hundreds of thousands of kilometres electrically. 
“The findings from the first phase have made a valuable contribution to the planned start of series production next year. We are now testing our electric truck for its suitability in everyday use with new customers from various sectors in Germany and abroad.”
One finding is that the range of the eActros of around 200kms has been proven realistic – regardless of load, route or topography. Mercedes-Benz Trucks says that the eActros “is in no way inferior to a conventional diesel truck in terms of availability and performance in urban traffic, on highways or on overland routes.”
The cooling system for refrigerated units and the aircon – both electrically operated – functioned without any limitations in both extreme heat and winter conditions. 
And, Merc adds: “Drivers are very pleased with the continuous availability of torque across the entire speed range. They also particularly mentioned the truck’s quietness in operation and the pleasant, smooth driving experience. Furthermore, if the truck is driven with foresight, electrical energy can be recovered through recuperation, ie motor braking. It is then rarely necessary to use the brake pedal.”