Bauma, Mercedes unveils Arocs BEV construction truck prototype. The project shared with Paul and Liebherr
By attending the leading exhibition in Munich we could experience the whole MB Trucks booth: not only the new zero-emission version of the Arocs, but also the eActros LongHaul truck, unveiled one month ago at IAA, and the eActros 300 with e-PTO developed by ZF and special construction equipment provided by MEILLER.
Mercedes-Benz Trucks unveiled the brand-new Arocs BEV construction truck at bauma 2022, the leading global exhibition in the construction sector. Mercedes-Benz Trucks was the only major manufacturer to participate in the exhibition. Sustainable Truck&Van was in Munich at the fair: we could experience the whole booth: not only the new zero-emission version of the Arocs, but also the eActros LongHaul truck, unveiled one month ago at IAA, and the eActros 300 with e-PTO developed by ZF and special construction equipment provided by MEILLER.
Mercedes-Benz Truck’s Arocs BEV
The BEV version of the Arocs is a prototype. It will be the base for the future series production version, available not before the end of next year and for the German market initially. In a first step, this will be implemented through a collaboration between Mercedes-Benz Trucks and the Paul Group. The company based in Passau, Germany, is electrifying the truck supplied by Mercedes-Benz Trucks from its Wörth truck plant with an electric drive train. Paul opted for an electrified central motor solution. In this way, the tried-and-tested planetary axles of the Arocs can be used to continue to offer the ground clearance and off-road mobility required for construction site use.
Mercedes Arocs BEV: the collaboration with Paul and Liebherr
The prototype of the “Battery-Electric Arocs” shown at bauma in Munich is equipped with an electric truck mixer body from LIEBHERR-Mischtechnik, which draws its energy from the Arocs’ batteries via an electric power take-off and has a rated capacity of nine cubic meters.
The Paul Group specifies a continuous output of more than 300 kW and a peak output of more than 400 kW for the vehicle’s electric drive train. The battery-electric Arocs can be configured with either six or seven battery packs, each with 60 kWh of usable energy. According to Paul, ranges of well over 200 kilometers are possible. The Battery-Electric Arocs can be charged from 20 to 80 percent at a 150 kW charging station within around 1.5 hours with six battery packs.
We are working on a completely CO2-neutral portfolio – including the demanding construction segment. Particularly versatile, robust and powerful trucks are in demand here. It is also a very complex area for electrification due to the wide variety of applications. Partnerships between vehicle manufacturers and bodybuilders are therefore crucial to offer our customers the right solutions
Karin Rådström, CEO Mercedes-Benz Trucks
The eActros LongHaul, now also for construction tasks
In cooperation with the Munich tipper manufacturer MEILLER, Mercedes-Benz Trucks has developed an electric power take-off for various types of trailers. This makes it possible to efficiently electrify hydraulic work equipment for use at construction sites, such as tipping semi-trailers or walking floor trailers. The system, developed for the eActros LongHaul and presented as a prototype at bauma, has a continuous output of 58 kW. In series production the electric power take-off is planned to generate significantly more power.
The electric power take-off converts direct current from the eActros LongHaul’s batteries into alternating current via an inverter attached to the rear of the driver’s cab. An additional electric motor drives the pump, which provides hydraulic power to operate the trailer. Advantages of this solution compared to the previous diesel-based drive include locally CO2 neutral and greatly reduced noise, especially relevant for use in cities and residential areas. The compactness of the system allows eActros LongHaul to be operated with a standard trailer – a great advantage for transport companies that use the vehicle for a wide variety of applications.
The eActros 300 with ZF’s electric PTO
Finally, Mercedes-Benz Trucks put on display the eActros 300 as a variant for road-oriented construction applications. The “eWorX” electric power take-off developed by ZF was installer, together with an electrified hooklift from MEILLER. More into technical details, ZF’s eWorX system converts the vehicle’s electrical energy into mechanical power on the shaft to drive the hydraulic pump for operating the body. To enable optimized operational efficiency, eWorX integrates components such as the e-motor, inverter, electronic control unit and application-specific software modules in a Plug-and-Work One-Box solution.
