The latest heavy-duty trucks must comply with increasingly tight emissions laws, save diesel costs for shareholders and be sufficiently comfortable to keep drivers' eyes on the road for the long haul.
Mercedes-Benz's newest Actros is probably the most advanced truck on the road. Already Euro VI compliant, it undercuts exhaust emission standards by up to 80 per cent, and in a 10,000-kilometre test drive with 40-tonne loads between Amsterdam and Stettin, a new 1845 BlueTec 5 Actros ran on 7.6 per cent less diesel than the Actros 1844 BlueTec 5 model.
The follow-up Actros 1845 BlueTec 6 model, nevertheless, undercuts this outstanding benchmark by 4.5 per cent, running on 25.9 litres per 100 kilometres. Fitted with a new generation of engines, enhanced transmissions, drive axles and improved cab aerodynamics, the latest Actros also reduced AdBlue consumption on the run by more than 40 per cent, with the present Mercedes-Benz 1844 LS consuming 1.55 l/100 kilometres versus the latest Actros 1845 LSs' 0.86 l/100 kilometres.
The AdBlue consumption of the Euro V version on this route stood at just under 1.1 l per 100 kilometres.
The three test vehicles were each manned by two works drivers and covered just over 10,000 kilometres in seven 24-hour shifts. The average daily mileage stood at 1,600 kilometres, with a day and night shift of equal length.
Given the length of such hauls, sometimes over several weeks, Mercedes-Benz has upgraded the interior design of its cabs.
