Freightliner Details eM2 Powertrain & Features For All-Electric, Medium-Duty Trucks

---

Freightliner will offer the eM2 as a Class 6 truck with a single motor and as a Class 7 dual-motor truck. (Photo courtesy of Daimler Truck North America.)

Freightliner has been developing the all-electric eM2 since 2018, and after more than 1.5 million miles of real-world testing with the eM2 and the eCascadia, the company says it will start production of the medium-duty eM2 this fall. Available in Class 6 and Class 7 platforms, the eM2 is based on Freightliner’s existing M2 106 Plus platform, upgraded with latest Detroit ePowertrain and offering multiple battery size options.

“Utilizing the production experience from the eCascadia, the eM2 is the result of extensive co-creation with our customers and years of real-world testing," says Rakesh Aneja, vice president and chief of eMobility, Daimler Truck North America. "For pickup and delivery applications, the eM2 has a typical range of 180 miles for the Class 6 version and 250 miles for Class 7, and represents a reliable, efficient, and sustainable solution.”

Scalable Electrified Platform

Detroit’s ePowertrain packages the electric motor (or motors on the Class 7 model) and a 2-speed transmission directly onto Detroit’s eAxle drive axles. The Detroit ePowertrain can also include an electric power take-off (ePTO) as an option to provide energy for refrigeration units, for example, directly from the high-voltage battery package. The Class 6 eM2 includes 194-kilowatt-hour battery and a single motor delivering up to 142 continuous kilowatts, or 190 horsepower. The Class 7 eM2 has a dual-motor configuration, increasing output to 190 continuous kW, or 255 HP, and a 291-kWh battery package.

"Expanding our electric product portfolio with the eM2 marks another historic moment for our customers and the industry on our joint journey to zero emissions," says David Carson, senior vice president, sales and marketing, DTNA. "With its versatility, the eM2 will be the perfect fit for pickup and delivery customers who require an adaptable electric solution.”

---

The eM2 platform incorporates the battery-electric Detroit ePowertrain, with an electric motor and 2-speed transmission connected directly to the drive axles. (Image courtesy of Daimler Truck North America.)

Vocational Innovation Program

Freightliner parent company Daimler Truck North America plans to offer an eM2 vocational innovation program designed to provide work truck customers with packaged builds. DTNA says it will target the utility, sweeper, dump, towing and recovery, and refuse segments to start, and will validate the vehicles for specific vocational applications based on real-world requirements.

“Our vocational innovation vehicles are designed to set the stage to expand eM2 coverage into additional customer applications in the future,” says Carson. eM2 trucks in the program could offer up to 330 kWh of battery capacity and might include both electric and mechanical ePTO options to support hydraulic and battery-powered body equipment.

Source: Daimler Truck North America