The future lies in the stars.

"Team Orange", as the municipal cleaning service in Dresden (SRD) calls itself, is anything but unfamiliar with Mercedes-Benz Trucks. More than half of the 180 vehicles in the SRD fleet come from Daimler Truck. These include not only three Unimog, with which the SRD has already gained excellent experience as sewer cleaning vehicles, water tankers and in winter service.

They also include more than 60 diesel Econic trucks, which are used for household waste and bulky waste collection. For several decades the municipal cleaning service has relied on the proven low-entry design with a panoramic windscreen and does not want to be without it in the future. This also applies to the folding door on the passenger side, which allows employees to exit on the side away from traffic without needing much space. With a view to the European Union's Clean Vehicles Directive, the municipal cleaning service in Dresden aims to ensure that the entire fleet is CO₂-neutral by 2045 — and has therefore put the fully electric eEconic to the test.

SRD managing director Alf Schwaten is convinced: “The use of environmentally friendly vehicles and alternative drivetrains will be an essential component in improving air quality in Dresden and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.” 

Because of the positive experience accumulated over years with the diesel Econic, the selection of a corresponding test vehicle was no coincidence, as the head of SRD’s waste collection department, Sven Gotscha, confirms: “The low entry and panoramic view have proven themselves to our employees for many years, which is why we continue to rely on the Econic chassis.”

Like the diesel Econic, the fully electric eEconic also features a low cab with continuous standing height thanks to the DirectVision concept. This gives it excellent all-round visibility combined with freedom of movement inside the vehicle.

Sensor-assisted driver assistance systems such as Active Sideguard Assist 2 or Active Brake Assist 6 can also increase safety for all road users in dense city traffic.

Complementing the Econic's specific focus on urban operations, the eEconic features an electric drive with an impressive range that can reliably handle the daily workload in refuse collection operations: thanks to its three battery packs, the eEconic achieves a range of up to 150 km¹. 

That is more than enough for a day's route: "In some cases, two days—or two routes—could be driven on a single charge," reports Sven Gotscha. Thanks to the rapid-charging function, the batteries can also be charged from 20 to 80% in a little over an hour at up to 160 kW.

The first experiences of "Team Orange" with the eEconic were uniformly positive: "The driving experience is great, all drivers were enthusiastic – even about the unusual quiet while collecting waste," says Sven Gotscha, relaying the positive feedback from the collection departments. This newfound quiet is providing noticeable relief, especially in residential areas.

Even though the eEconic introduces new technology, Stadtreinigung Dresden GmbH can stick to the basic principles that proved successful with the diesel Econic: "We were able to complete the previous routes with the eEconic without changes," explains Sven Gotscha.

By testing the eEconic, the municipal cleaning service is showing what modern waste disposal in a growing city can look like: quiet, clean – and highly efficient.