Daimler rolls out plans for new heavy duty, all-electric trucks ahead of Tesla
Auto giant Daimler has made some big moves recently to expand its electric vehicle programs, even tussling on social media with Elon Musk over its commitment to the new tech. Now one of the conglomerate's companies has unveiled plans for brand new heavy-duty all-electric vehicles, just weeks ahead of Tesla's semi truck reveal event.
Daimler Trucks' Mitsubishi FUSO Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) announced E-FUSO, a new brand focused on electric trucks and buses, and showed off an all-electric truck concept from the brand, the Vision One, at the Tokyo Motor Show.
The E-FUSO Vision One is a heavy-duty Class 8 truck that Daimler claims will have a range of about 217 miles per charge. The truck concept weighs 23 tons, and the company claims it can haul a payload of about 11 tons — just two tons less than a diesel rig of the same class.
Daimler didn't share a timeline for the concept's production, but MFTBC pledged it will bring electrified powertrains to all of its buses and trucks "in upcoming years," depending on technology and infrastructure developments. The company won't work on the systems alone; Daimler's other properties like Mercedes-Benz Energy and Chargepoint will help to build out battery supplies and charging networks.
E-FUSO isn't the only all-electric truck in Daimler's large portfolio. Last year, Mercedes-Benz showed off its Urban eTruck concept, which had a shorter range of 124 miles per charge.
Other companies like Cummins and Volkswagen are working on all-electric powertrains for heavy duty vehicles, and Proterra, an electric bus maker, recently claimed it set an endurance record by driving more than 1,000 miles on one charge.
Tesla, arguably the most recognizable name in electric vehicles, plans to unveil its long-awaited semi truck design next month on Nov. 16.
Topics Electric Vehicles
Brett Williams is a Tech Reporter at Mashable. He writes about tech news, trends and other tangentially related topics with a particular interest in wearables and exercise tech. Prior to Mashable, he wrote for Inked Magazine and Thrillist. Brett's work has also appeared on Fusion and AskMen, to name a few. You can follow Brett on Twitter @bdwilliams910.
