The Mercedes-Benz Trucks truck assembly plant in Wolter, the automotive hub of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, is electrifying its local ** chain. The German truck manufacturer aims to fully electrify its inbound and outbound logistics by the end of 2026.
In order to electrify the local ** chain, several of Mercedes-Benz Trucks' logistics partners in and out of the Walls plant are purchasing more than a dozen Eactros 300s. The company also wants to transfer its experience to other companies where it provides consulting services.
The Wall plant is the largest truck assembly plant for Mercedes-Benz Trucks, employing around 10,000 people, making it the second largest employer in the region. The plant produces the Actros, Arocs and Atego series, and the Econic, Unimog and Zetros special trucks are rolling off the production line. The electric Eactros 300 400 has been produced at the plant since 2021 and the EECONIC variant since 2022. The Eactros 600 electric heavy-duty truck was launched in October 2023 and will go into mass production at the plant by the end of 2024.
Mercedes-Benz Trucks also plans to use its electric trucks in its ** chain. As a first step, 17 logistics partners will receive 20 EACTROS 300 tractors for use in Walter's inbound logistics. This refers to the delivery flow from the ** merchant or sister factory. Outbound logistics is the transportation of finished products from the assembly line to the customer.
The truck manufacturer has also just revealed that its Eactros 300 tractor is now also available in a lower-spec version initially for selected customers in the field of factory logistics and is particularly suitable for use with large trailers and automotive logistics", as stated by Mercedes-Benz Trucks. The Lowliner can also score points in bulk shipments with an interior height of no more than three meters. Starting next year, the Eactros 300 Lowliner will be produced in small batches and will be available to order starting in January 2024.
The group now wants to make the acquired expertise available to other industrial companies. To this end, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is launching a consulting program called ELA ("Electrified Logistics Acceleration"), specifically designed to help with electrified plant logistics.
On the other side of the Atlantic, Daimler Trucks North America has just announced a project to electrify logistics for its U.S. plants. Initially, four Freightliner Ecascadia semi-trailers will be used around the Portland plant.