Mercedes-Benz is allowing 20 customer driver an electric semi truck for a year

Cue all the jokes of Electric Avenue, because that's where Daimler takes his trucks. The urban eTruck makes the quantum leap from concept to reality, and the first customers will receive their all-electric trucks this year, for a year.

The Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck is the first all-electric heavy truck in the world. It will initially be manufactured in a small series, understandably to eliminate any possible dentition problems that usually come with being a pioneer in any segment - call it beta testing - and the plan is to reach production at Large scale by 2020.

The truck was presented at the International Commercial Vehicle Show in 2016 and Stefan Buchner of Mercedes-Benz Trucks says the builder is in talks with 20 potential customers who are ready to do their business with the urban eTruck. This is a 12-month limited test period where the use of the truck is monitored and supported by the Mercedes-Benz road test department. Customers are operators in the elimination sector, food and logistics, says Buchner, and a quieter garbage truck looks like a very welcome development.

Mercedes-Benz said the truck will have a range of up to 120 miles, a payload of 12.8 tons and a 18 tonne permit or 25 tons gross vehicle weight. They will be equipped with either a refrigerated body or a dry box body or offered as a deck vehicle, and the loader is as heavy as the rest of the construction.

Stefan Buchner says: "2017 will be our year of implementation: we are gradually developing vehicles and systems to reach the maturity of the market. In addition to the urban eTruck, Daimler will also offer the lightweight Fuso eCanter electric truck to 150 selected customers in Europe, Japan and the United States.