It’s been a long time coming but Daimler Truck Southern Africa (DTSA) has finally sold and handed over the first of its Mercedes-Benz eActros 300 battery-electric trucks to long-time customer Bakers S.A. Limited. The models include the eActros 300L 4×2 Rigid, eActros 300L 6×2 Rigid and the eActros 300LS 4×2 City Tractor.
I’ve got to be honest and say that I really thought the eActros was out of the arena in terms of its battery electric trucks. It’s been so quiet since the launch held at Lanseria airport back in May 2024 – and it was a big event. Exciting break-through stuff.
The next we heard of it was at a hand-over to DP World of a test unit for evaluation.
But then it all went quiet again. Not sure how the test run with DP World went but to this day we haven’t heard anything on that one.
In the meantime, we have seen Volvo making inroads with its battery-electric trucks which it launched onto our market in June 2023. And of late, we’ve been hearing a lot on SANY, the Chinese electric trucks which are making good inroads.
What I didn’t know, however, was that DTSA was far from being out of the arena. It had in fact, made its electric vehicles available to other customers to experience the technology first-hand and assess its suitability within real-world operations. One of these companies was Bakers S.A. Limited. But it was kept pretty quiet and now we hear that Bakers is the first customer to fully embrace it.
Through its extensive demonstration and trial of the eActros, the company was able to evaluate the vehicle under operating conditions and recorded significant energy cost savings. As one of the early adopters to experiment with electric trucks, the company has demonstrated a willingness to test emerging technologies and assess their practical application within the transport environment
A milestone built on partnership
Commenting on this move, Abdool Kader Tayob, Chief Executive Officer of Bakers S.A. Limited, said the deal marks the epitome of loyalty built on a long-standing partnership between Bakers and Daimler Trucks.
“These vehicles’ exceptional product quality boasts world-class engineering and design, representing the best available EV technology. This is further underpinned by Daimler Trucks’ core DNA of unprecedented reliability and maximum uptime. We look forward to upcoming linehaul offerings from Daimler Trucks’ global strategy on alternative fuel as this perfectly aligns with Bakers’ forward-thinking decision and strategy to be an early adopter as we move forward into the 2027–2030 horizon.”
He also thanked Daimler Truck Southern Africa’s executive team as well as the teams from Sandown Commercial Vehicles Centurion and Daimler Truck Financial Services for their on-going customer support and collaboration in making the deal possible.
Congratulating Bakers South Africa Limited on this important milestone, Olaf Petersen, Vice President: Sales and Marketing, Daimler Truck Southern Africa, said: “Bakers S.A. Limited is a longstanding and loyal customer and we are privileged to support their business as they continue to explore technologies that can enhance the efficiency and sustainability of their operations.”
He added that battery-electric trucks are one of the technologies Daimler Truck is investing in as part of the future of transportation. “While adoption in our market has been more gradual than initially anticipated, we are encouraged by the progress we are seeing. As diesel and broader energy costs remain an important consideration for transport operators globally and in South Africa, we believe alternative drivetrain technologies will become increasingly relevant. The experience of customers such as Bakers S.A. Limited is important in demonstrating what is possible when the right technology is matched with the right application.”
A first for the dealer network
The handover is equally significant for Sandown Commercial Vehicles Centurion, which becomes the first Mercedes-Benz Truck dealership in South Africa to sell a Mercedes-Benz battery-electric truck.
Mark Croxon, CEO of Sandown Commercial Vehicles Centurion, said: “We sincerely congratulate Bakers S.A. Limited on the addition of these three eActros 300 trucks to their fleet. We are grateful for the trust they continue to place in Sandown Commercial Vehicles as their dealer partner and look forward to supporting them as they take this next step in their fleet journey.
“For our team, it is an incredibly proud moment to become the first Mercedes-Benz Truck dealer in South Africa to sell a battery-electric truck but this milestone is about more than the delivery of three vehicles. It reflects the strength of the partnership between the customer, dealer and manufacturer as we collectively navigate the transition towards new commercial vehicle technologies.”
Ok so now we know that since introducing its electric truck range in 2024, DTSA has placed a strong emphasis on allowing customers to experience battery-electric technology within their own operations before making long-term investment decisions – and it is now paying off.
By moving beyond theoretical discussions around electrification and enabling customers to evaluate the technology against their own operational requirements, the demonstration programme has provided practical insights into the opportunities associated with battery-electric commercial vehicles and their potential role in the future of commercial transport.
Patrick O’Leary
Managing Editor, FleetWatch
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