Pfenning Logistics starts operation of the fully-electric Mercedes-Benz eActros in Mannheim

Another locally emission-free and quiet Mercedes-Benz eActros goes into operation with logistics service provider Pfenning Logistics.

The company, headquartered in this region, will be using the battery-electric 25-tonne truck to supply the Mercedes-Benz Mannheim plant.

The official handover took place at the plant's external warehouse in “Spreewaldallee”, northeast of Mannheim, located around eight kilometres away from the plant itself. In October 2018, Mercedes-Benz Trucks has already handed over an eActros in Mannheim to concrete producer TBS Transportbeton. Both vehicles are part of the eActros “Innovation Fleet” for testing the heavy, all-electric truck with various customers.

Pfenning's eActros is now an integral part of the Mercedes-Benz plant's logistics chain. The electric truck will transport replacement parts and components from the external warehouse to the Mannheim plant. The eActros will operate in two shifts and cover around 160 kilometres a day. With a range of up to 200 kilometres, the eActros will be able to manage this workload reliably. The batteries will be recharged in the evening at the external warehouse after the truck has completed its tours.

The Mannheim site has over 5,100 employees produce engines and associated components for all of Daimler's commercial vehicle divisions around the world. In spring 2019, the company and works council agreed on a joint package for the future of the Mercedes-Benz Mannheim plant. In addition to expanding the core business, it also included further developing the production of alternative drive technologies.

With its centre of excellence for emission-free mobility (KEM), the plant is ideally suited for the development and production of alternative drive systems. The expertise and production infrastructure in the field of high-voltage technology are important preconditions for the assembly of battery-electric drive systems. The package also includes the assembly of the battery packs for the eActros when series production, planned for 2021, begins.

Dr Thomas Grobel, Head of Logistics Planning at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Mannheim: “Our plant is repositioning itself to ensure a sustainable and competitive future. This involves the logistics team also getting to grips with future-oriented technologies. We therefore welcome the fact that Pfenning is using the quiet and locally emission-free eActros to supply our plant and we're already looking forward to seeing the results of the tests.”

Matthias Schadler, Managing Director of Pfenning Logistics, stressed: “At Pfenning, we have over 85 years of experience in product management cycles and have our roots firmly in the region. We are therefore delighted to be able to play an active role in this important approach to sustainable logistics solutions by testing the Mercedes-Benz eActros. With a range of 200 kilometres, the eActros perfectly matches the operational profile we need.”

The eActros is based on the frame of the Mercedes-Benz Actros. But the vehicle's architecture has been resolutely designed around the use of an electric drive system and thus features a high percentage of vehicle-specific components. Two electric motors near the wheel hubs of the rear axle provide the drive, each delivering an output of 126 kW and 485 Nm maximum torque. Furthermore, the transmission ratio used sees this brought up to 11,000 Nm on each wheel. The drive power is therefore on par with a conventional truck. Lithium-ion batteries with 240 kWh capacity provide the eActros with the required energy. Depending on the available charging output, the batteries can be charged completely within as little as two hours (at 150 kW).