Leinfelden-Echterdingen / Finland – Daimler Truck has subjected its Mercedes-Benz Zetros defence vehicles to intensive testing under extreme climatic conditions in the Finnish Arctic Circle. During the winter testing at the beginning of the year, temperatures reached as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius, and the road sections were mostly icy and covered with a thick layer of snow – ideal conditions for the on-site tests. The aim of the tests, which were carried out by the Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks team of experts over several weeks, was to verify the reliable operational capability of the vehicles even under harsh winter conditions.

Dennis Kinzelmann, CEO Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks: “Our customers, such as Lithuania, Canada, and Ukraine, depend on vehicles that work anytime, anywhere – even in the icy winters of northern latitudes. To meet this demand, we put our vehicles through very demanding tasks in extremely cold and wintry conditions, which they once again completed successfully.”

Overall, traction and driving stability on icy roads, low-temperature capability, and winter operational reliability were comprehensively tested. With stable handling and full compliance with all technical parameters, the Zetros defence vehicle series demonstrated its capabilities alongside other models.

As part of the winter testing, the vehicles were subjected to a cold start at minus 40 degrees Celsius in a separate cold chamber, among other things. In addition, tests of the electronic stability program on ice and snow were carried out. The ESP system intervenes to prevent skidding and improve driving stability on slippery roads. The experts on site conducted extensive brake tests to examine how the vehicles behave on different surfaces and under different traction conditions. Tests were carried out with unloaded and loaded vehicles, in which, for example, the wheels on only one side of the vehicle were driven on ice sheets or loose gravel in order to simulate various extreme situations. Further tests included kerosene operation and the tire pressure control system, which increases the contact area of the tires on snow by adjusting the air pressure.

In addition, the winter tests in the far north included further tests and measurements in the areas of mechatronics, software and safety systems, emissions and exhaust aftertreatment, engine and transmission optimization, air conditioning in the driver's cab, and the use of auxiliary heating at very low outside temperatures.

In addition to the Zetros, the local staff also successfully tested other Mercedes-Benz vehicles, such as the Unimog, the Econic, and the eArocs 400.