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Daimler Trucks tests eActros in arctic temperatures.

The tests focused particularly on the effects of extreme cold on handling, ergonomics, and comfort. Criteria such as starting performance and cold protection of the drive components, thermal management, charging behavior, and robustness of the sensors were also examined.

To ensure that the eActros gets up to speed quickly at low temperatures from the start, "pre-conditioning" of the batteries and the cab temperature is important. To avoid burdening the batteries, this "pre-heating" takes place directly at the charging station. Image: Daimler Truck AG
To ensure that the eActros gets up to speed quickly at low temperatures from the start, "pre-conditioning" of the batteries and the cab temperature is important. To avoid burdening the batteries, this "pre-heating" takes place directly at the charging station. Image: Daimler Truck AG
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von Robert Domina

When commercial vehicle manufacturers set off for winter testing, the destination is usually Rovaniemi in Finland. Here in the Finnish forests, there's always snow, and temperatures as low as minus 25°C are normal even during the day. The thick ice layers of the frozen lakes are ideal handling tracks with plenty of run-off areas to safely push stability programs to their limits.

This year's winter tests included vehicles from various series – among them prototypes of the battery-electric eActros LongHaul, set for production in 2024, and the battery-electric eActros 300 as a tractor unit, as well as the conventionally diesel-powered Actros L.

Besides the usual testing routines, the main interest was how the electric drive systems perform in extreme cold. For this purpose, among other things, the starting behavior and cold protection of the drive components, software, and interfaces were examined. Here, "starting behavior" doesn't mean whether the truck starts or not. It refers to how the electrical flows behave at very low temperatures and whether and to what extent the batteries need to be preheated. This is because the battery packs dislike both very low and very high ambient temperatures. The aim is to find the optimum "comfort" temperature for the batteries and to regulate it as quickly as possible, or ideally even before starting.

 

The thermal and energy management has therefore been intensively tested. Both ensure that not only the drive train, but also the driver's cabin, are properly and energy-efficiently tempered even at low temperatures.

Advantage for the drivers: The cabin in the eActros warms up faster!

For example, it has been shown that the eActros LongHaul, with its smaller heating circuit of high output, generally warms up the cab more quickly than a diesel truck. However, since the energy for this is drawn from the batteries installed in the vehicle, reducing the range, it is recommended to use so-called pre-conditioning or energy-efficient pre-climatizing of the E-truck at a charging station. After pre-conditioning, the eActros LongHaul loses less range even in extreme cold.

We inquired at Daimler Trucks to find out exactly how the capacity and thus the range losses are at different low temperatures. Dr. Christof Weber, Head of Global Testing at Daimler Trucks, has a, as he puts it, "very clear statement":

Due to the many factors such as outside temperature, load, and topography, it is simply not possible to attribute range losses and their magnitude conclusively to this or that factor. Fundamentally important for the E-truck, however, is pre-conditioning at the charging station.

But: There is a wealth of data that has not yet been evaluated. More precise information can only be given after evaluation.

The winter testing also included numerous tests on driving and braking behavior on different grip surfaces and, for example, the influence of slush on the effectiveness of driver assistance system sensors. Tests were also conducted to see how the Trailer Stability Assist can reduce the risk of jackknifing for semitrailers during cornering or evasive maneuvers on winter roads and how the MirrorCam handles the different contrast ratios on ice and snow.

Start of series production in the second half of 2023

The model variant of the eActros 300 as a semitrailer tractor, first presented at IAA Transportation 2022 in Hannover, can pull all common European trailers, considering the maximum permissible total train length. The E-truck is based on the same technology as the eActros 300/400. Three battery packs with a total installed battery capacity of 112 kWh each enable a range of up to 220 kilometers without intermediate charging. Series production is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2023.

In 2024, the eActros LongHaul for long-distance transport is expected to be ready for series production. The eActros LongHaul will have a range of around 500 kilometers without intermediate charging in the series version and will be prepared for fast high-performance charging. Its batteries with lithium iron phosphate cell technology (LFP) are said to be characterized mainly by a long lifespan and more usable energy.

What does this mean?

Daimler Trucks is also advancing its electric models and will begin delivering the electric Actros in the second half of 2023. And the long-distance Actros is already "warming up" in the winter test. 

Translated automatically from German.
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