Daimler launches king trucks
Super large Actros and Arocs can carry up to 250t
The vehicles are powered by a 625 horsepower (466 kW) engine.
Mercedes-Benz Trucks has launched its two largest its heavy-duty trucks, the “king” class of vehicles, as part of continued roll-out of new vehicles to meet the European emission requirements. The company has launched its Actros SLT and Arocs SLT, capable of moving loads of up to 250 tonnes, including heavy plant used in the oil and gas industry or turbines for wind power.
The Actros SLT has been designed with comfortable air suspension for road use, while the Arocs SLT with a robust parabolic spring for tough assignments in extreme terrain.
In order to cope with the huge loads, the the vehicles are fitted with stronger frames, additional axles, highly efficient cooling systems, a special clutch to help get the truck moving, and a high-performance braking system. The vehicles are powered by a 625 horsepower (466 kW) engine.
Production of the trucks began in December 2013 at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Molsheim, France, which serves as the base of Custom Tailored Trucks, or CTT for short. The plant fulfills even the most unusual wishes of truck customers from all over the world.
Every detail of the trucks’ design was extensively tested by experts, said Daimler. The trucks have a total towing weight of 250 tons, and the semi-trailers are often more than 50 meters long. In addition, these vehicles may generally only be driven at night.
“Such oversized loads are almost unsurpassed in their complexity,” said Stefan Buchner, head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks.
“We’re putting the most powerful and robust Mercedes-Benz trucks of all time on the road to perform the shipping industry’s toughest jobs. The SLT is tailored to these requirements, down to the last detail.”
The three or four-axle tractors feature Euro VI technology and are powered by the new OM 473 six-cylinder inline engine with 15.6 liters of displacement and 460 kW/625 hp of output. The maximum torque is 3,000 Nm. The 16-speed PowerShift transmission enables finely coordinated shifting. The retarder and the engine brake have a combined braking power of 720 kW (979 hp) – a figure that doesn’t even include the power of the normal service brake.
Approximately 20% of trucks produced in the main factory in Wörth are then modified for customers at the Molsheim factory. Since the year 2000, the Molsheim plant, closely integrated into the Mercedes-Benz Trucks production network, has developed and modified more than 150,000 trucks in accordance with specific customer wishes.
Although the main markets for CTT are within the EU, the customized trucks are on the road worldwide. In recent years, CTT has delivered thousands of customized vehicles to Brazil, China, and Russia respectively. Hundreds of units have also been delivered each year to Australia and Indonesia.
