Alternative commercial vehicle drives at the IAA 2024 in Hanover

Contents

1. The commercial vehicle section of the IAA, which is held alternately with the passenger car section in Hanover every two years, is intended to provide a platform for "commercial vehicle and bus manufacturers, body and trailer manufacturers, micro-mobility companies, cargo bike and small vehicle providers, as well as suppliers and tech companies, service providers and start-ups". This is according to the organizing VDA.

With the program item "Micromobility and cargo bikes", it is immediately clear what a profound phase of upheaval transport mobility is currently undergoing - after all, the organizer is the German Association of the Automotive Industry. At second glance, the latest exhibition vehicles with which the traditional manufacturers of heavy trucks are presenting themselves show this: They are those with battery and hydrogen-electric drives, which will be essential for the politically agreed decarbonization of road freight transport. To achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, the sector must reduce its emissions by over 80 percent in less than 30 years; in Europe it produces over a quarter of CO₂ emissions , worldwide just under ten percent. There are around seven million medium and heavy-duty trucks on the roads, and 300,000 new ones are added every year.

Drive turnaround is cost-driven

In line with the interest shown by hauliers, the trade fair's event program for the 2024 e-trucks includes a competition under expert supervision for the first time. This makes perfect sense, as the trucks in question are ready for series production or can already be ordered, and their prices are steadily approaching economically interesting regions. Considering the tough competition, the opportunity for a rapid switch to e-mobility in the transport industry is offered almost exclusively by costs, while private cars are likely to be bought emotionally for some time yet. Another focal point is the increasingly difficult shortage of drivers in the industry. Hopes are therefore pinned on autonomous trucks and, in contrast to autonomous cars, they are also more realistic: trucks work on fixed routes and, grouped together in short convoys, could already drive semi-autonomously and soon help to reduce the number of drivers. The same applies here as with electric trucks: as soon as it is worthwhile, it is likely to be implemented quickly. Those who don't play along will only be able to survive in niches in the medium term.

The other important area is deliveries to urban areas, where emission limits are increasingly making the use of conventional vehicles more difficult or prohibiting them. The additional low speeds are an opportunity for electric trucks, which can usually manage ranges of 150 to 300 kilometers without intermediate charging.

As an example of alternative drive concepts, in this first part we list commercial vehicles that appear suitable for reaching the market comparatively quickly in larger numbers and potentially initiating a faster turnaround than is conceivable in the private passenger car sector. However, we doubt whether hydrogen-powered vehicles – with fuel cells or H₂ burners – will contribute to this. In any case, it is unlikely to be an option for passenger cars in the medium term.

Volvo tractor units

The Volvo FH Aero Electric is a battery-electric tractor unit for overland transportation whose aerodynamic shape improves energy efficiency. The FH is suitable for a gross combination weight of up to 44 tons and can be equipped with two or three electric motors with 330 to 490 kW continuous output. Three auxiliary drives (electric, mechanical and transmission) are optionally available with the I-Shift transmission. It offers up to 540 kWh battery capacity and four to six batteries, achieves a range of up to 300 km (as a 4x2 tractor unit with trailer) and can be charged at up to 43 kW AC and up to 250 kW DC. The FH is available in the following configurations: tractor unit with 4x2, 6x2, 6x4 drive, chassis with 4x2, 6x2, 6x4, 8x2, 8x4 drive, low long-distance cab, long-distance cab, Globetrotter cab, Globetrotter XL cab.

Volta Zero: 18-ton electric truck with low-floor cab

The Volta Zero is a battery-electric 16/18-tonne truck for inner-city distribution transport. The driver of a Volta Zero sits in a central driving position, with a significantly lower seating position and a lower entrance than in a conventional truck. This combination and a cab design like a "glass house" offer the driver a wide view of 220 degrees and minimize dangerous blind spots. The manufacturer promises a range of over 300 km with an energy consumption of 0.71 kWh/km. Volta Commercial Vehicles was founded in 2019 as a start-up and has apparently already overcome insolvency. It is emphasized that the 150-strong team has teamed up with a number of leading global companies to develop the Volta Zero.

Designwerk 40t BEV High Cab Low Liner tractor unit

The Swiss electric mobility company Designwerk has already presented the High Cab Low Liner 4x2T in 2022. The 40-tonner has an output of 450 kW. Its installed battery capacity is 340 kWh; the iron phosphate batteries are designed to enable 3000 or more charging cycles and mileages of up to 850,000 km. With 150 kW, the battery-electric truck can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in at least 90 minutes. "Low liner" means that the low semitrailer height of at least 937 millimetres, in combination with a mega trailer, enables a clear interior loading height of three meters. Compared to conventional trailers, this results in up to 15 percent higher volume capacity. The model is now available with an aerodynamically optimized cab, which extends the range to up to 260 km by reducing fuel consumption by up to five percent.

Tesla Semi Truck

Tesla's semitrailer tractor has been a long time coming, but now it is said that production will finally begin in 2026 after a pre-series. The fact that traditional truck companies such as Mercedes, DAF and Volvo were quicker to launch series models may have something to do with the fact that Tesla apparently wanted to reinvent the e-truck. However, the drive and storage technology comes from its passenger car models. Tesla is still holding back on technical details, but the current status is an output of around 750 kW, ranges of 480 or 800 km and a consumption of 125 kWh per 100 km.

Daimler Truck

Production of the electrically powered Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 will begin in November. With a range of 500 km, it is a tractor unit for the long-haul segment, which is responsible for two thirds of all CO2 emissions from heavy road freight transport in Europe. Its LFP battery with a gross capacity of 621 kWh is technically designed for 1000 kW charging power, but is charged at 400 kW until the corresponding infrastructure is available. This should still be enough for a daily mileage of 1000 km. With a maximum charging capacity of 1 MW, Daimler promises to charge the battery from 20 to 80 percent SoC in a minimum of 30 minutes.

Daimler Trucks has had the Fuso brand's e-truck in its range since 2017. The 7.5-tonne Fuso eCanter (also available in 6.0 and 8.55 t variants) with a 41, 83 or 124 kWh battery is set to demonstrate at the trade fair that electromobility in the transport industry is also a strong argument for noise- and exhaust emission-free deliveries to city centers. In the case of the Fuso, this has already proven itself for many customers.

With the fuel cell-electric Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck, Daimler is presenting an alternative to the battery in which tankable liquid hydrogen converted into electricity serves as the drive energy for the electric car. In its pre-series version, the tractor unit has two electric motors, each with 230 kW continuous and 330 kW maximum output, a torque of 1577 Nm continuous and 2071 Nm peak torque. The fuel cell delivers a maximum of 300 kW, while a 70 kWh battery buffers peak loads. On public roads, the truck reached up to 1047 km with a charged battery and full tanks.

DAF Trucks XD and XF Electric

The Dutch brand is about to launch series production of its battery-electric tractor units based on the proven XD and XF models. They are available with an output of up to 350 kW and a large selection of battery packs (two to five packs) for a range of up to 500 kilometers. Like those from Daimler, DAF's electric trucks have LFP batteries with advantages in terms of thermal safety, service life and number of charging cycles.

MAN eTGL

MAN Truck & Bus is presenting the new MAN eTGL at the IAA 2024. With a range of up to 235 kilometers and a payload of up to 6600 kilograms, the battery-electric 12-tonner with 210 kW is predestined for light distribution transport. Its batteries offer 160 kWh and can be charged with up to 250 kW in around 30 minutes (10 to 80 percent SoC, 250 kW, 335 A).

Paul Group H2EV

The PH2P truck is based on a Mercedes Atego 4×2 / 6×2 Glider chassis and uses an 80 kW fuel cell from Toyota and a single-stage 200 kW drive from Voith with a continuous torque of 3100 Nm and two 60 kWh batteries. The vehicle can be fully refueled within 10-15 minutes. The hydrogen tank holds 30 kilograms.

Wisdommotors

The Chinese brand has a large range of battery-electric commercial vehicles at the start and is presenting itself in Hanover with a 12-meter bus for 98 seats with a range of 330 km from a 385 kWh battery.

The battery-electric delivery truck with a range of 230 km thanks to its 143 kWh battery capacity, is designed for urban routes. The six-meter-long truck in the 7.5-tonne range offers up to 18 cubic meters of transport volume.

For long-distance hydrogen-electric transport, Wisdommotors offers a tractor unit for a 38-ton truck with H2EV drive and a range of 1000 km; the hydrogen is stored in twelve 145-liter cylinders.

Keyou

Keyou specializes in converting diesel engines to hydrogen burners and offers the entire range of services, from hydrogen supply and maintenance to suitable insurance. Keyou already has the 40-tonne Daimler ACTROS 1848 LS 4x2 chassis semitrailer tractor with conversion of the 12.8-liter 6-cylinder diesel engine to a hydrogen combustion engine. 346 kW at 1600 rpm, 2100 Nm @ 1000 to 1400 rpm. Hydrogen consumption 10 kg H2/100 km, range up to 650 km, refueling 20 min, zero emission according to EU standard and thus toll exemption, among other things.

A new presentation at the trade fair stand is a 40 t tractor unit from Volvo with a 12.8 liter 6-cylinder diesel engine in H2 operation, 343 kW at 1600 rpm, 2186 Nm @ 900-1500 rpm. 700 bar tank system with 56 kg hydrogen capacity, range 500 km, refueling 15 min.

IVECO battery-electric tractor unit S-eWay

The 4×2 tractor unit is powered by a twin-motor electric axle with a continuous output of 480 kW and a maximum torque of 1800 Nm. With nine battery packs of 82 kWh each, the S-eWay has a gross capacity of 738 kWh, which should enable a range of up to 500 kilometers. Powerful preconditioning should allow fast charging with up to 350 kW between -30 and +50 degrees. At best, an SoC of 80 percent should be reached within 90 minutes.

(fpi)