Cookie Consent by Free Privacy Policy website Fully electric transport to supermarkets in Berlin: EDEKA starts on-road test of the Mercedes-Benz eActros
october 24, 2018 - Mercedes-Benz Trucks

Fully electric transport to supermarkets in Berlin: EDEKA starts on-road test of the Mercedes-Benz eActros

  • Daily food delivery to EDEKA locations in Berlin
  • Locally emission-free and quiet
  • Daily route between 150 and 300 km
  • Part of the eActros "innovation fleet" of a total of 10 vehicles
  • Also present today for the handover to EDEKA: Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety

Berlin – #mercedesbenztrucks today delivered a fully electric eActros for on-road testing to EDEKA. The German retail association will be testing a 25-tonne #truck with refrigerated body for one year in Berlin, where it will be used to transport fresh, temperature-sensitive foodstuffs in Germany's capital. The daily route from the warehouse in Grünheide on the outskirts of Berlin to various EDEKA supermarket branches in the city centre and surrounding areas is between 150 and 300 km. The vehicle will operate in a double shift pattern. The weight of the transported goods can be up to 10 tonnes. During loading and unloading, the vehicle is charged to ensure that the total range of the eActros (up to 200 km with a single battery charge) is optimally utilised. EDEKA is the only company from the retail sector in Germany, which will use the eActros in its own fleet of vehicles.

The symbolic handover of the vehicle to EDEKA took place at the Gasometer in the Berlin-Schöneberg district. In addition to representatives from #mercedesbenztrucks, EDEKA and #truck body manufacturer Schmitz Cargobull, Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, also took part in the event.

Two-year test with 20 customers – series production starting in 2021

EDEKA is one of a group of 20 customers – all from various industries – that are now integrating the heavy-duty electric #truck into their fleets. Each of these selected customers will put a near-series version of either the 18 or 25-tonne variant through its paces in real operations and will test the respective vehicle for its suitability for their daily field of work. The aim of #mercedesbenztrucks is to make emission-free and quiet driving a reality in cities from the year 2021, also with series heavy-duty trucks – and all of this as economically viable as with a diesel #truck. The test series consists of two phases, each with ten customers and spanning a total of around two years. The development and testing of the heavy-duty electric #truck in short-radius distribution operations is sponsored as part of the "Concept ELV²" project to varying degrees by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMU) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi).

EDEKA is making a valuable contribution ahead of the market launch

Andreas von Wallfeld, Head of Marketing, Sales and Services for #mercedesbenztrucks: "We are delighted that EDEKA – a long-standing customer – is now also testing the eActros. Thanks to their practical deployment of the eActros, EDEKA is making a valuable contribution to the truck's further development ahead of its market launch. It goes without saying that we are very thankful to the retail association for their active support. Our previous results from numerous tests have been nothing less than very positive. The 200 km range, for example, is totally realisti