Mercedes-Benz Trucks is introducing a CB400 high-voltage exchange battery as a resource-efficient alternative to replacing used batteries with new ones. At launch, the batteries are available for eActros 300/400 models, but the programme is to be expanded.
With the introduction of the new CB400 high-voltage exchange battery, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is further expanding its range of genuine spare parts for battery-electric trucks. The so-called ‘Genuine Reworked Batteries’ are now available to customers for the Mercedes-Benz eActros 300/400 of the first model generation and the Mercedes-Benz eEconic as a “resource-saving and economically attractive alternative to brand-new replacement batteries.” The manufacturer is so confident in the reworked batteries that it writes that the Mercedes-Benz Trucks parts warranty also applies to them.
The reworked batteries are advertised as having an “as-new quality,” as well as having passed safety evaluation and, of course, feature full functionality. Mercedes-Benz aims to establish a consistent circular economy by extending the lifecycle of high-voltage batteries, reducing resource use and reducing CO2 emissions. The German manufacturer estimates that around one-third of CO2 emissions are saved by using reworked batteries. A later second-life use is also planned.
The battery project was launched in Mannheim, at the “Kompetenzzentrum für emissionsfreie Mobilität”, or KEM as the company refers to it. At the facility, used CB400 batteries are collected from customer vehicles, before being disassembled, thoroughly cleaned, and refurbished to the latest series standards.
“With the CB400 reworked concept, we offer our customers a cost-efficient and sustainable solution that reuses high-quality components, thereby reducing resource consumption and greenhouse gas emissions — all while maintaining consistently high quality,” stated Christian Vrbek, Team Leader Remanufacturing Zero Emission Vehicles in Aftersales at Daimler Truck.
This is not to be the end of the circular battery economy project, as the company writes: “Insights gained from the CB400 project are already being incorporated into the development of the next generation, such as the CEB500 battery for the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600.”
It is also interesting timing to introduce the new battery format for the eActros 300/400 models, as they are to be phased out of production soon, however, the manufacturer writes that “the demand for reliable and cost-effective spare parts remains.”
