Mercedes unveils the world’s first electric semi-truck
Not to be out done by cars trucks are getting a green makeover too European car companies are finally starting to invest more heavily in green technology and even greener vehicles.
Key takeaways
- Audi unveiled three more electric cars last week and Porsche added 400 jobs to how many it estimates it will create to make its electric Model E come to life.
- With a fully loaded pulling capacity of over 29 tons it's the first electric big rig concept to hit the road, beating out the semi-truck Tesla announced it was working on last week.
- Daimler has already heavily tested the utility of close-range hauling with its Fuso Canter E-Cell pilot program, sending the all electric 4.8 ton capacity light trucks around Portugal last fall.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2016) 'Mercedes unveils the world’s first electric semi-truck', 311 Institute, 22 August. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/mercedes-unveils-the-worlds-first-electric-semi-truck/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Not to be out done by cars trucks are getting a green makeover too
European car companies are finally starting to invest more heavily in green technology and even greener vehicles. Audi unveiled three more electric cars last week and Porsche added 400 jobs to how many it estimates it will create to make its electric Model E come to life. Today though Daimler revealed the first new vehicle concept, the first fully electric semi-truck, the Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck.
Like most electric vehicles, the eTruck is whisper quiet, for a truck anyway, which, for a vehicle weighing in at over six tonnes is unnerving at first. With a fully loaded pulling capacity of over 29 tons it's the first electric big rig concept to hit the road, beating out the semi-truck Tesla announced it was working on last week.
Of course, big rigs move freight across long distances, so the eTruck's current 124 mile maximum range likely won't be adequate for long hauls but the "Urban" prefix denotes its use case as a clean, quiet load bearing vehicle ideal for cities. Daimler has already heavily tested the utility of close-range hauling with its Fuso Canter E-Cell pilot program, sending the all electric 4.8 ton capacity light trucks around Portugal last fall. The eTruck scales that concept up to the loads and conditions typically endured by semis.
Daimler envisions that its electric truck won't roll off the assembly lines until early in the next decade, according to their press release but by then, technological improvements will drive battery costs down by a factor of 2.5 and efficiency up by the same metric, the truck company estimates.
What this means for your organisation
Cities electrify freight first.
Limited range suits urban routes where trucks return to base each day. Quiet, clean vehicles fit cities with air quality rules. Logistics firms should start electrifying urban fleets.
Noise becomes a benefit.
Very quiet trucks could deliver at night without disturbing residents. That eases congestion and widens delivery windows. Operators should test off-peak electric deliveries.
Long haul needs more range.
Current range does not suit long-distance freight. Batteries and charging must improve for that market. Plan mixed fleets while long-haul options mature.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- Which of our urban routes could switch to electric trucks now?
- Could quiet trucks let us deliver at night?
- When will electric trucks suit our long-haul needs?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Not to be out done by cars trucks are getting a green makeover too European car companies are finally starting to invest more heavily in green technology and even greener vehicles.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity programme, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 22 August 2016. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2016). Mercedes unveils the world’s first electric semi-truck. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/mercedes-unveils-the-worlds-first-electric-semi-truck/
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