Daimler Truck boosts electric truck range with new battery chemistry

Daimler Truck is changing battery chemistry for its future long-haul electric trucks to boost driving range beyond 300 miles on a single charge while eliminating the use of cobalt and nickel.

The world’s largest truck maker showed its eActros long-haul electric truck for the first time Sunday evening before the opening of the IAA Transportation 2022 show.

Rather than the commonly used lithium-ion chemistry, the eActros long-haul truck will use lithium-iron phosphate (LFP), expected to allow more charging cycles and more usable power per cell.

The truck also will be equipped for megawatt charging, which is unavailable in any current electric truck.

“Customers can go from a 20% to 80% state of charge in less than 30 minutes,” said Karin Rådström, head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks. That should allow most charging needs to be met at fleet depots rather than through public infrastructure.