Does Mercedes Benz make Semi-trucks?
By
Vroomouk
This article will answer the following questions: Does Mercedes Benz Make Semi-trucks? Which models are available in semi-trucks? Where is Mercedes Benz Semi-trucks made? Should you buy a Mercedes Benz Semi truck?
Does Mercedes Benz make Semi-trucks?
Yes, Mercedes Benz manufactures Semi-trucks that can be used for many different purposes. Mercedes Benz is famous for its luxury passenger cars and therefore it is not possible to imagine a company that makes premium luxury passenger cars also makes semi-trucks.
Mercedes Benz has been manufacturing trucks since 1926, the first trucks produced by Mercedes Benz were called L1, L2 and L5 each with different load capacities. The base chassis can be modified to suit different purposes. For example, a bus cab can be installed on the truck chassis and used as a people carrier.
Today Mercedes Benz makes semi-trucks for the construction, distribution and mining operations. Mercedes Benz also allows different body builds and conversions; the Mercedes Benz custom tailor truck is an in-house body conversion facility specially designed to meet the requirements of different customers.
Mercedes Benz also has a bodybuilder online portal, customers can easily select their suitable truck model and put in special requests for the body and cab built. Customers can even consult body conversion experts to get the best possible solution. Custom-tailored truck builds do not void the warranty of the truck and customers can claim it in any authorised dealership across the world.
Few first-generation trucks used petrol engines but their load-carrying capacity was limited to 1.5 to 2.0 tons. Now, petrol engines are non-existent in the Mercedes Benz Semi trucks. All the available trucks are powered by diesel engines as the torque offered by the diesel engines is far superior when compared to petrol engines.
Mercedes Benz is also the first automotive company to make a fully electric commercial truck. The Mercedes Benz E Actros has two models with three and four battery versions, the capacity of each battery is 112 kWh and combined battery power is around 336 and 448 kWh respectively.
This gives E Actros a usable real-world range of 300 to 400 km. The electric motors also offer more than 1000 Nm of torque and the maximum torque is also generated instantaneously. The only competition in the fully electric semi-trucks is the Tesla semi-truck but that is still under development.
Which models are available in the Mercedes Benz semi-trucks?
Mercedes Benz makes a variety of semi-trucks models and can even do custom body builds to meet the requirements of the customers. Following are the different Mercedes Benz Semi truck models:
The Mercedes Benz Econic model series 956 is the second generation; the first generation was introduced in 1998 and the latest generation was launched in 2013. The Econic is a low entry truck and is mainly used for waste collection, fire and emergency purposes. It is available in 2 models with 18 tons and 26 tons capacity and powered by an OM936 engine. The OM936 has 7.7 litres turbocharged inline engines and makes more than 1000 Nm of torque.
- E Actros
The E Actros is the first fully electric commercial truck produced by Mercedes Benz, it is available in two versions with 3 or 4 battery packs. The capacity of each pack is 112kWh. The E Actros has a gross vehicle weight of 19 to 26 tons and the payload without the body is 10 tons. The load-carrying capacity of 10 tons and its range of up to 400 km make it a great choice for distribution services within cities.
The first generation of the Actros was introduced in 1996 and currently, the actress is in the third generation. It is also the biggest truck offered in Mercedes Benz semi-trucks and is usually used for long hauls in distribution and construction. The Actros range is also the most advanced truck made by Mercedes Benz.
There are advanced driver assistance systems like Active brake assist 2 that can even detect stationary objects, Distronic Plus, Active blind spot assist and traffic guidance. Many assistance systems like parking assist, proximity alert and attention assist can be installed optionally.
The Actros model range is powered by OM501/502, the 501 is the V 6 while the 502 is the V 8 engine. Engine displacement is mostly the same around 12 litres and the power output range is from 350 to 650 horsepower. Actros has four types of cabs, they are S, M, L, and LH the L and LH are high roof cabs and large sleeper beds as they are mostly used for long hauls. M also has a sleeper but the roof is the same as the S Cab. There is no sleeper in the S cab and it is not suitable for long hauls.
The Arocs models are designed specifically for construction sites, it is the second most technologically advanced truck after the Actros, the cab is high so drivers can get better visibility on construction sites. There is also a side guard assist with mirror mounted cameras so the driver can get a better picture of the surroundings. The Arocs are available with load capacities from 18 tons up to 41 tons. Two main variants are powered by OM 473 and OM 936 diesel engines.
- Atego (new)
Atego is a small general-purpose truck especially aimed at developing markets like Brazil, India, and China. They are powered by inline 4 and 6 cylinder diesel engines and load capacities are 6.5 to 16 tons. The OM 934/936 are newly developed and meet the EURO VI requirements. Atego also gets a few assistance systems like the electronic stability control and Acceleration slip control.
Where is Mercedes Benz Semi-trucks made?
Mercedes Benz has commercial truck factories around the world. In countries like India, Mercedes Benz AG is even partnered with Bharat and sells trucks under the Bharat Benz brand. The majority of truck production takes place at the Mercedes-Benz Wörth plant in Germany.
It is the largest and the oldest manufacturing plant, the manufacturing started in 1963. The Mercedes Benz knocked down kits are also manufactured here and then shipped to different assembly plants in the rest of the world. The Wörth plant is capable of producing more than 400 trucks in a day including custom trailered trucks and special purpose trucks like the Econic and Unimog.
Every three minutes a Cab is mated to the chassis at the production line and all the produced trucks are thoroughly inspected at the end of production in a special light tunnel. More than 750,000 kites are manufactured and shipped in a day and the plant employs around 10,000 personnel.
Other articles about Mercedes Benz you may be interested in
Which is the most reliable model in the Mercedes Benz C Class?
What is the resale value of the 1975 Mercedes Benz SL?
Conclusion
Mercedes Benz Semi-trucks are slightly expensive compared to semi-trucks from Scania and Volvo but the extra price is worth it as the trucks are more advanced and safe compared to the competition. Mercedes Benz is also the only manufacturer that offers in house body conversions and the after-service network is huge which means trucks can get back on the road more quickly.
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