A major online launch in Brazil this week saw a slick light show as another major brand launches an electric truck. This time around, it was Volkswagen, with a pair of models at 10 and 14 tonne GVM arriving with a lot of fanfare.
The e-Delivery may be a model specifically aimed at the South American market, but it does come from one of the big players in global truck manufacturing, Traton. This group includes Scania and MAN as well as the truck arm of Volkswagen.
One of the interesting things about the design is the layout of the electric driveline, with the electric motor situated right at the rear of the chassis, with the driveshaft pointing forward to the drive axle in front of it. This appears to be to improve weight distribution with the normal engine position taken up with control and cooling systems and the batteries taking the position usually reserved for fuel tanks and between the chassis rails.
The eDelivery uses Chinese CATL batteries, Weg for the electric motors and other primary brands such as Meritor or Bosch for key components are involved in the project, as well as Siemens and ABB with agreements on charging infrastructure.
The lighter 10 tonne model from Volkswagen’s electric is fitted with an electric motor delivering 300kW and torque of 2,150 Nm all the way from zero rpm. Unusually the eDelivery features a fully air suspension system and can be specified with six battery modules or, for shorter routes, three modules.
Volkswagen claim that the 10,700kg GVM model can attain a payload of 6,320kg with the lighter battery pack fitted. It is also claimed that the batteries can be charged to 80 per cent capacity in just 45 minutes
Eco-Drive Mode is available to the driver and automatically adjusts the truck’s performance reducing performance levels, but saving battery power. The e-Delivery is also equipped with an inclinometer, this analyses the topography and adjusts the power output accordingly.
