MERCEDES-BENZ TRUCKS’ ELECTRO-MOBILITY SOLUTIONS WIN 2021 TRUCK INNOVATION AWARD

Mercedes-Benz Trucks has won the 2021 edition of the Truck Innovation Award for its electromobility solutions with its eActros battery-electric heavy-duty truck (BEV), which is planned to go  into series production in 2021, and its Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck, a hydrogen-based fuel-cell  electric concept truck (FCEV), which is planned to start operational customer trials in 2023.

The prestigious award was simbolically handed over to Martin Daum, Chairman of the Board of  Management, Daimler Truck AG and Sven Ennerst, Head of Daimler Trucks Product Engineering,  with a video clip at the headquarter in Stuttgart, Germany.  

The Truck Innovation trophy, which acknowledges both the enormous technological changes  and the energy transition that are taking place within the automotive sector, has been awarded by  the International Truck of the Year (IToY) jury, a group of 25 commercial vehicle editors and senior  journalists, representing major trucking magazines from Europe and South Africa. 

With a winning score of 128 votes, Mercedes-Benz’s electric trucks fought off the competition from  Volvo Trucks’ heavy-duty BEV concepts and DAF’s 2nd Generation CF Electric. 

The International Truck of the Year jury, who had the chance to get to know the previous prototype  of the eActros and the latest closer-to-the-series-production-vehicle, praised the handling  characteristics of the battery-powered truck in distribution applications and its performance in  terms of acceleration and driveability. Moreover, the IToY journalists praised the user-friendliness  for a quick and easy transition from a conventional internal combustion engine vehicle. 

Finally, the IToY jury members appreciated Mercedes-Benz Trucks comprehensive approach to  electro-mobility, based on a clear-cut long-term strategy, on a global modular electric powertrain  platform and on in-house development of main critical components. It’s a wide-range solution  portfolio, which spans from the pre-production eActros to the battery powered eActros Long Haul,  to the fuel-cell liquid-hydrogen concept GenH2 Truck for long-haulage applications. 

Summing up the jury vote, International Truck of the Year Chairman Gianenrico Griffini commented:  “Shaping CO2 neutral transport requires the swift development of battery-electric and fuel cell  trucks. This development needs to be supported by a long-term electro-mobility strategy, which  is precisely what Mercedes-Benz Trucks is doing.”

According to IToY rules, a Truck Innovation Award nominee must be an advanced-technology  vehicle with a gross vehicle weight over 3.5-tonnes either fitted with an alternative driveline or  have an alternative fuel-system. Otherwise, it must feature specific high-tech solutions with regard  to connectivity (whether semi or fully autonomous driving systems) a “platooning” capability, or  advanced support services such as remote diagnostics.