eEconic transports eEconic chassis at Wörth plant.

It is number 1. The first all-electric custom tailored eEconic. And it has a very special task: the climate-friendly transport of chassis in the production chain of the new eEconic at the Wörth plant. Axel Werner, Project Manager in the Factory Planning team at Daimler Truck, is proud of this special feature. “We are absolutely convinced by the eEconic and its many possibilities.” Consequently, the team considered no other vehicle solution to cover their needs. More authentic enthusiasm? Almost impossible.

Back to the roots.

Wörth is not only the site where the eEconic is produced, but the eEconic also helps in production at the Wörth plant. The electrically powered truck transports chassis for the new eEconic from the end of the production line to the paintshop. A task with a lot of responsibility and a critical stage in the manufacturing process. This is because – unlike diesel models – the eEconic cannot drive itself from production to painting because the HV battery of the all-electric truck is only installed in a later production step. When it comes to transport, safety and reliability are key. And the fact that the chassis remain dry before painting is an important point of quality assurance.

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Powerful, efficient and locally emission-free: the eEconic with full battery-electric drive is a commercial vehicle that meets high demands. Axel Werner emphasises what makes the use of the electric truck so special to him, among other things: “This is our contribution to CO₂ neutral production here at the Wörth site.”

This is our contribution
to CO₂ neutral production.

Axel Werner, Project Manager, Factory Planning Team, Daimler Truck

But it is no ordinary eEconic from the assembly line that is deployed in Wörth. If you can even call the eEconic "ordinary".

Climate-friendly and weather-resistant.

“It is the first all-electric custom tailored eEconic that we have built here in Production – especially to suit our own needs at the plant,” explains Axel Werner. Such tailor-made solutions are the key business of Mercedes-Benz Custom Tailored Trucks, CTT for short. “This is our truck plant.”

Anyone towing heavy chassis needs broad shoulders: that’s why the in-house CTT conversion specialists have extended the wheelbase of the eEconic from 4.000 to 5.500 mm. As a result, the new production support vehicle in Wörth is 12 m long, 3 m wide and 4 m high including body. With a weight of 27 t, its payload is an impressive 13 t.

As a result of the overwidth, the team has obtained a special exemption authorisation for the vehicle so that it can be registered for road traffic as usual. After all, experts always keep an eye on safety in plant traffic.

What makes the eEconic so special?

Find out more about the vehicle features and technical data of this all-electric commercial vehicle.

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Tarpaulin for the valuable cargo.

The wheelbase is not the only feature that distinguishes the eEconic in Wörth from the its model colleagues. The professionals from bodybuilder Bickel-Tec in Rheinau, Baden, have equipped the 330 kW truck with electro-hydraulic ramps and a ComeUp Walrus 22.0 electric cable winch generating a pulling force of up to 9.9 t.

Since the eEconic chassis have to be transported from production to the paintshop, the body must, above all, be watertight. Bickel-Tec’s solution therefore also comprises an Edscha TS CurtainSider tarpaulin frame assembly and tarpaulin rollers, which serve to protect the valuable cargo from adverse weather conditions. A sure thing for Alexander Boltz from vehicle production: “We take the vehicle into the paintshop in dry condition, come rain or shine.”

New, exciting areas of application conceivable in the future.

In conjunction with bodybuilder Bickel-Tec, the eEconic from Wörth made its first major appearance at the leading trade fair for the commercial vehicle industry, NUFAM, at the end of September 2023.

The all-electric model is currently primarily impressing as a silent and locally emission-free commercial vehicle for municipal waste collection. The eEconic can cover almost any typical waste collection route in single-shift operation with just one battery charge.

But other areas of application are also conceivable. “Thanks to the extended wheelbase of 5,500 mm, the eEconic is suitable for transporting particularly large loads of all kinds,” describes Axel Werner. For instance, initial enquiries were received from airport applications where tank bodies with a capacity of thousands of litres need to be moved around. “Airport catering is also an option.” The eEconic could make an important contribution to the climate-neutral food supply in schools, universities and canteens.

More about the Econic in airport applications

Daimler Truck is therefore planning to expand the eEconic portfolio in 2025. By then, the plan is to produce the Wörth version with a wheelbase of 5,500 mm in series.

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the eEconic?

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