Germany - Global truck builder, Daimler Trucks of Stuttgart, Germany has announced its next step forward in electrifying its truck range is to be the launch of the Mercedes-Benz eEconic. Customer testing of the low-entry eEconic for municipal use is scheduled to begin in 2021 when selected customers will test the vehicles for their everyday practicality in actual applications. Experience gained from customer testing will flow directly into series production of the eEconic, which is scheduled to start in 2022. The eEconic is based on the eActros electric truck for heavy distribution, which enters series production in 2021.

The first eEconic model is to be offered in the 6x2/N NLA configuration, which is the most used model for waste collection, Daimler stated. It added battery-electric trucks were most suited for urban waste management duties as these often operate on the same relatively short routes of around 100km. In addition, as a high proportion are stop-and-go operations, electrical energy can be recovered during braking to recharge the battery, which further improves range and efficiency.