Logistics
Electric charge
It is number 1. The first all-electric custom tailored eEconic. And it has a very special task: the climate-friendly transport of chassis in the production chain of new eEconic at the Wörth plant. Axel Werner, Project Manager in the Factory Planning team at Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks, is proud of this special feature. "We are absolutely convinced by the eEconic and its many possibilities." Consequently, the team considered no other vehicle solution for its own needs. More authentic enthusiasm? Almost impossible.
eEconic transports eEconic chassis at the Wörth plant.
Back to the roots.
In Wörth the eEconic is not only at home but also at the plant. The electrically powered truck transports chassis for new eEconic from the end of the production line to the paintshop. A responsible task and a sensitive stage in the manufacturing process. Because—unlike diesel models—the eEconic cannot drive itself from the production line to the paintshop, as the HV battery of the all-electric truck is only installed at a later production step. When it comes to transport, safety and reliability are key. And the fact that the chassis remain dry before painting is an important point of quality assurance.
“In doing so, we are making our contribution to CO2-neutral production.”
Powerful, efficient and locally zero-emission: the eEconic with a fully battery-electric drive is a commercial vehicle that meets high demands. Axel Werner emphasizes what the use of the electric truck means to him, among other things: "In doing so, we contribute to CO2-neutral production here at the Wörth site."
But it’s not an ordinary eEconic off the production line that’s operating in Wörth. If you can even speak of "ordinary" when it comes to the eEconic.
Climate-friendly and weather-resistant.
"It's the first all-electric custom tailored eEconic that we've set up in our production — specifically for our own needs in the factory," explains Axel Werner. Such tailor-made solutions are the core business of Mercedes‑Benz Custom Tailored Trucks, or CTT for short. "This is our truck manufactory."
Those who haul heavy chassis need broad shoulders: that's why the in-house CTT conversion specialists extended the eEconic's wheelbase from 4,000 to 5,500 mm. As a result, the new Wörth works helper, including the body, measures the proud dimensions of 12 m long, 3 m wide and 4 m high. At a weight of 27 t, its payload is an impressive 13 t.
Because of its overwidth the team obtained a special permit for the vehicle so that it is permitted for normal road traffic. After all, the experts always keep an eye on safety in plant traffic.
Plans and tarpaulins for the valuable cargo.
The wheelbase is not the only feature that sets the eEconic in Wörth apart from its model counterparts. The specialists at bodybuilder Bickel-Tec from Rheinau in Baden have therefore equipped the truck, which has 330 kW of power, with electrohydraulic ramps and an electric winch of the type ComeUp Walrus 22.0, which offers up to 9.9 t of pulling force.
Because the eEconic chassis must be transported from production to the paint shop, the body above all has to be watertight. Bickel-Tec’s solution therefore also includes a tarpaulin frame of the type Edscha TS CurtainSider as well as tarpaulin rollers, which can keep the valuable cargo protected from the weather. A safe bet for Alexander Boltz from vehicle assembly: “We drive the vehicle into the paint shop dry – it can rain or storm however it likes.”
New and exciting applications are conceivable in the future.
With the bodybuilder Bickel-Tec, the eEconic from Wörth made its first major appearance at the leading commercial vehicle trade fair NUFAM at the end of September 2023.
Currently, the fully electric model primarily impresses as a quiet, locally emission-free utility vehicle for urban waste collection. Nearly all typical waste collection routes can be covered with the eEconic in single-shift operation on just one battery charge.
But other areas of application are also conceivable. "Thanks to the extended wheelbase of 5,500 mm, the eEconic is suitable for transporting particularly large loads of all kinds," Axel Werner explains. Initial inquiries have, for example, come from the airfield application sector, where tank bodies with capacities of thousands of liters need to be moved. "Airport catering is also an option." The eEconic could make an important contribution to climate-neutral food supply for schools, universities and canteens.
More about the Econic in airfield applications
Daimler Truck therefore plans to expand the eEconic portfolio in 2025. The Wörth version with a 5,500 mm wheelbase is then to enter series production.
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