Leinfelden-Echterdingen/Stuttgart – Mercedes-Benz Trucks has handed over the first five of a total of ten battery-electric Mercedes-Benz eEconic vehicles to the local municipal waste management services Abfallwirtschaft Stuttgart (AWS). The handover took place as part of the inauguration of AWS’s new operating site in Stuttgart-Wangen (Germany). The eEconic vehicles are equipped with a FAUN Variopress rear loader with a capacity of 21 m³ as well as a FAUN Skylift lifting system.

Christian Wilz, CEO Mercedes-Benz Trucks Germany:
“With the eEconic, we are bringing locally CO₂e-free and exceptionally low-noise waste collection vehicles onto the road – a clear advantage in urban environments like Stuttgart. At the same time, the handover of these ten vehicles marks an important joint milestone with Abfallwirtschaft Stuttgart. It stands for our long-standing, trusting partnership and our shared responsibility to develop solutions for the circular economy, thereby making a tangible contribution to quality of life in our cities.”

Markus Töpfer, Managing Director of AWS: “The electric refuse collection vehicles represent a major leap forward for Stuttgart. Despite the city’s challenging basin topography, the eEconic trucks have proven their performance. They support a climate-friendly, future-oriented waste management system while at the same time improving working conditions for our employees. Their quiet operation makes communication in the cab easier and reduces the physical strain of daily work.”

To mark the inauguration of the site, AWS also organized a neighborhood open house, giving local residents and other interested visitors the opportunity to explore the new facility at Gingener Straße 23 in Stuttgart-Wangen and gain insights into the operations of municipal waste management.

The new AWS operations site has been specifically designed for the use of battery‑electric waste collection vehicles and features a state‑of‑the‑art charging infrastructure with nine overhead truck charging units, several passenger car charging stations, and two fast‑charging points. AWS also relies on renewable energy sources: the roofs of the new facility host one of the largest photovoltaic systems installed on a municipal building in Stuttgart.

In addition to the ten battery-electric eEconic vehicles, AWS has also procured ten Mercedes-Benz Econic trucks with diesel powertrains from Mercedes-Benz Trucks. Out of a total fleet of around 1,100 vehicles, AWS currently operates approximately 120 waste collection vehicles across the city.

About the eEconic 300

The Mercedes-Benz eEconic is a battery-electric truck designed for municipal applications and has been produced at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth am Rhein since 2022.

It is ideally suited for use in urban waste collection operations and covers typical collection routes in single-shift operations without intermediate charging. Technically, the eEconic 300 is based on the eActros of the first model generation and is equipped with three battery packs, each with an installed capacity of 112 kWh^[1] and around 97 kWh of usable capacity. Its low-entry concept with a low step-in height facilitates frequent entry and exit on the traffic-side passenger door, while the deep, panoramic windscreen provides excellent visibility of the traffic environment. Standard equipment also includes the Multimedia Cockpit Interactive, which provides information on battery status, energy consumption, and remaining range, thereby supporting efficient driving. Both drivers and local residents benefit equally from the low noise emissions of the battery-electric vehicle, particularly during early morning operations.

_{[1] Nominal capacity of a new battery based on internally defined framework conditions. This may vary depending on the application and environmental conditions.}