Iveco’s battery electric S-eWay has a 500km range

Iveco has launched a battery-powered S-Way with a 500km range.

Initially available solely as a 4x2 tractor unit with the full width AS cab, the S-eWay is the result of a former collaboration with Nikola. However, Iveco has since taken ownership of the joint venture, and you won’t find any Nikola badging on the truck.

At the heart of the BEV is an FTP-designed dual-motor eAxle, which produces 480kW of continuous power. Doing away with a propshaft allows Iveco to locate the nine 82kWh batteries (738kWh total) both inside and outside the chassis rails. This packaging allows for a 4m long wheelbase.

The truck features a single-speed transmission, which according to Neil Black, product manager for electric vehicles, was a logical choice. “We think simplicity for this first generation is the way forward,” he said. “We have enough elasticity in our powertrain, so have fantastic startability, acceleration and performance.”

The truck’s batteries, which each weigh 500kg, use lithium ion chemistry. The cells and modules are sourced in Korea, and the batteries are built in South Carolina. With 4.5 tonnes of batteries, overloading the drive axle is a potential problem, and Iveco says a 5-axle artic will have a potential payload of no more than 22 tonnes.

Using a 350kW fast charger, the batteries can be replenished to 80% in 90 minutes. The S-eWay is not Megawatt Charging System (MCS) prepared.

The truck has roughly 85% parts commonality with the US-built Nikola Tre. While this includes the eAxle, Nikola sources its batteries from elsewhere. The cab interiors share many similarities, including the 17in touchscreen display and the 12.8in digital cluster.

There are, as yet, no plans to produce a right-hand-drive S-eWay. 

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