Wognum, Netherlands: Simon Loos is to trial Mercedes-Benz’s electric 25- tonners with Schmitz Cargobull reefer swap bodies.
The trucks will deliver to shops in stores in Rotterdam and the Hague.
Mercedes-Benz has been testing its 18- and 25-tonne electric trucks since 2018. Simon Loos is the first in the Netherlands to test the E-Actros on live contracts. This trial is on Albert Heijn supermarket chain deliveries.
Wim Roks, Fleet manager, Simon Loos, said: “I have high expectations for the range of this three-axle box truck. Despite the heavy load and the fact that the exchangeable cooler is cooled with power from the high-voltage system, I expect that we can safely plan 150 kilometers without recharging in practice. Of course that depends on even more factors; the temperature, the route, the driving style, the loading weight and the use of air conditioning or heater all play a role. ”
The batteries are charged at Albert Heijn’s distribution center in Delfgauw, which is still under construction. In total, 700kW of power will be installed.
For the test, eight Simon Loos drivers have been trained to become aware of the risks of the high voltage. But things such as operation, fault signals and the operation of the energy recovery are also reflected in the training.
“I am convinced that this is ‘the way to go’. In my view, a three-axle rigid truck currently offers the best balance in payload and range,” Roks said.
The E-Actros is based on the Mercedes-Benz Actros chassis but with two electric motors with an output of 169bhp each and a maximum torque of 485Nm each. This results in 11,000 Nm each after the transmission ratio, providing a performance equivalent to that of a conventional truck. Lithium-ion batteries with 240kWh supply the energy for the eActros. Depending on the available charging power, the batteries can be fully charged within two hours (at 150kW).
