First electric truck unveiled by Mercedes-Benz

This lovely piece of big machinery is fully electric and can carry up to 26 metric tons. Image Daimler AG

As electric cars and scooters slowly gain a foothold on the streets of several countries, Daimler has unveiled the world’s very first electric semi, the Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck.

The eTruck is the same as most electric vehicles in that it is relatively whisper-quiet apart from the low hum that can be heard when an e-vehicle passes by, unlike the traditional diesel truck, reports Engadget.

With a weight capacity of 26 metric tons, the eTruck is the first electric “big rig” concept for the road. However, the eTruck has a limited range of roughly 200 kilometers so it won’t be used for long hauls. Instead it is ideal for load-bearing within city limits.

Daimler has already done extensive tests for the utility of close-range 4.8-tonne capacity light trucks around Portugal. The eTruck will be a scaled-up version of those early light trucks but with the capacity of a semi.

Innovative as it is, especially with the growing demand for e-vehicles and green cities, eTrucks won’t be rolling off the assembly lines any time soon largely because of the cost and range of current batteries. Daimler expects battery technology to further mature by 2025 and thereby drive costs down, paving the way for more e-vehicles to be manufactured.

Locally, we’ve already seen our fair share of e-vehicles from e-bikes to e-jeepneys. Perhaps one day soon, eTrucks will start to replace the gas-guzzling, pollution-spewing semis on the roadways. Alfred Bayle