Electric mobility: Mercedes-Benz Trucks enters into strategic charging infrastructure partnership with Siemens Smart Infrastructure, ENGIE and EVBox Group

Or the construction interventions and investments required to implement a centralized charging facility at the depot on the company's own premises. "Given the complexity of related processes, it is crucial to think in advance about the optimal use and maximum integration of pure electric vehicles into the fleet," emphasizes Andreas von Wallfeld, Head of Marketing, Sales & Services at Mercedes-Benz Trucks. "In order to assist our customers for all aspects of the planning, application and implementation of charging infrastructure and connection to the electricity grid, we have entered into strategic partnerships with Siemens Smart Infrastructure, ENGIE and EVBox Group," continued Wallfeld. They align perfectly with Mercedes-Benz Trucks' ambitions to offer fleet operators more than just vehicle concepts when it comes to electric mobility.

To this end, Mercedes-Benz Trucks has developed a complete ecosystem under the name eConsulting, which provides customers with advice and infrastructure offers. The products and services of the carefully selected partners were extensively tested by Mercedes-Benz Trucks to ensure the integration and future-proofing of the charging systems for all current and future Mercedes-Benz electric commercial vehicles. In addition, they were successfully subjected to numerous compatibility tests with the Mercedes-Benz Trucks charging management system. Some of these tests took place as part of the eActros Innovation Fleet pilot project, which ran for more than two years at several customer sites across Europe. In 2021, the eActros celebrated its world premiere as a series model.

Holistic approach to advice

The strategic partnership was deliberately developed by Mercedes-Benz Trucks. Indeed, experience from numerous conversations with transport companies has shown that fleet operators are particularly concerned about complementary charging infrastructure. "We want to allay any concerns our customers may have in this area while giving them the assurance that our 'full service' offer will assist them in all facets of their transition to the electric transport of the future," explains Andreas von Wallfeld.

To do this, the eConsulting team at Mercedes-Benz Trucks primarily looks at the customer's existing routes to establish a realistic and relevant usage profile for electric trucks for their location. If customers use the services offered by Siemens Smart Infrastructure, ENGIE or EVBox Group, these partners examine the depots and the development of a suitable infrastructure and energy supply, in combination with intelligent hardware and software solutions. They also take on the maintenance of the charging infrastructure. Siemens Smart Infrastructure, ENGIE and EVBox Group work closely with Mercedes-Benz Trucks at all stages of the process. If any problems arise when charging a truck or with the charging infrastructure or software, customers can contact a regular contact person.

Another aspect of the eConsulting program is the charge management system developed separately by Mercedes-Benz Trucks. Among other things, that system allows the creation of charging profiles in order to use the available output of the electric connection as economically as possible. In addition, it offers the possibility of starting and monitoring charging processes remotely. Also, eConsulting from Mercedes-Benz Trucks includes advice to optimize overall operating costs and identify potential premiums available for infrastructure, all with a single point of contact and the ambition to offer fleet providers a sustainable future.

Strong partner for charging infrastructure

Siemens Smart Infrastructure addresses pressing challenges such as urbanization and climate change by connecting energy systems, buildings and industry. Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, the company offers its customers products, systems and solution from power generation to power consumption. With its complete portfolio in electric mobility, Siemens offers versatile and future-oriented charging solutions for electric vehicles, from grid connections over charging hardware and software to services. Learn more: www.siemens.com/eMobility.

ENGIE, headquartered in Paris, is a global reference in low-carbon energy and services. The publicly traded company has operations in seventy countries and aims to facilitate the transition to a CO₂-neutral world by keeping energy consumption low and implementing more environmentally friendly and competitive solutions. To this end, ENGIE is building on its three core businesses: gas, renewable energy and the provision of services. Learn more: www.engie.com.

EVBox Group provides businesses and drivers around the world with integrated electric vehicle charging solutions. Their portfolio ranges from a wide range of charging stations to open-source charging management software. Based in Amsterdam, the company has 12 other offices in Europe and North America. They have already installed more than 250,000 charging connections worldwide and will soon be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Learn more: www.evbox.com.