Starting signal for battery-powered mega-trip: eActros 600 en route to Europe's northernmost and southernmost points

- Two near-series prototypes of the eActros 600 launched in Frankfurt am Main
- Largest test drive in the history of Mercedes-Benz Trucks
- Battery-electric long-haul trucks travel more than 13,000 kilometers through more than 20 countries - each truck with 40 tons of total train weight en route
- Karin Rådström, CEO Mercedes-Benz Trucks, at the wheel during the first few miles
- Karin Rådström: "My heartfelt thanks go to our engineers who are taking the eActros 600 on the road. The vehicle technology for transformation is ready. Battery-electric international transport in Europe is possible. Now politics and the energy sector, in close cooperation with industry, must drive the development of a public power supply." 

Mercedes-Benz Trucks launched the largest test drive in the company's history in Frankfurt am Main on Tuesday. In the "eActros 600 European Testing Tour 2024," two near-series prototypes of the new electric flagship eActros 600 are to travel through more than 20 European countries, each covering more than 13,000 kilometers with a total train weight of 40 tons. Among the highlights of the battery-electric long-haul trucks' journey are the northernmost and southernmost points of mainland Europe: North Cape in Norway and Tarifa in Spain. Karin Rådström, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Trucks, drove one of the e-trucks on the first kilometers. Unofficially, the tour began shortly before at the Mercedes-Benz Trucks location in Wörth am Rhein and at the Daimler Truck AG headquarters in Leinfelden-Echterdingen.

Karin Rådström: "My heartfelt thanks go to our engineers who are taking the eActros 600 on the road. The vehicle technology for transformation is ready. Battery-electric international transport in Europe is possible. Now politics and the energy sector, in close cooperation with industry, must drive the expansion of public charging infrastructure."

Gain experience on a wide variety of trajectories related to energy consumption

Mercedes-Benz Trucks wants to use the "eActros 600 European Testing Tour 2024" to gain extensive experience on a wide variety of routes in different topographies and climate zones with regard to energy consumption. The manufacturer then wants to share these insights with interested customers.

The high battery capacity of more than 600[1] kilowatt hours and a new, particularly efficient, self-developed electric drive shaft make a range[2] of the eActros 600 of 500 kilometers without interim charging is possible. The intention is to charge the batteries exclusively at public charging stations.

The trip will include Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Monaco, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

About the eActros 600

About 60 percent of the long-haul trips made by Mercedes-Benz Trucks customers in Europe are shorter than 500 kilometers, so the power supply at the depot and at the loading and unloading points is sufficient for these cases. For all other applications, the further expansion of public charging infrastructure is an essential prerequisite for making the electric truck fully deployable for pan-European international transport. The eActros 600 will later enable megawatt charging (MCS) in addition to CCS charging with up to 400 kW. In April this year, developers at Mercedes-Benz Trucks successfully charged a prototype of the eActros 600 for the first time at a charging station with an output of one megawatt at its own development and test center in Wörth am Rhein. Customers can order preparation for MCS. Once MCS technology is available and cross-manufacturer standardized, it should be possible to retrofit it for these models of the eActros 600. The batteries can be charged from 20 to 80 percent in about 30 minutes at a corresponding charging station with about one megawatt of power.[3] be charged.

Visually, the long-haul electric truck is distinguished by a fundamentally new, purist design with clear lines and an aerodynamic shape. In terms of profitability for fleet operators, the electric truck should set new standards with which it can replace the majority of diesel trucks in the important segment of long-haul transport in the long term. At the heart of Mercedes-Benz Trucks' concept for battery-electric international transport is the provision of a total solution for customers' transportation, consisting of vehicle technology, consulting, power supply and services.

[1] The eActros 600 features three battery packs with 207 kWh each. These provide an installed total capacity of 621 kWh. Rated capacity of a new battery pack, based on internally defined boundary conditions. It may vary depending on the application and environmental conditions.

[2] The range was determined internally under specific test conditions after preconditioning with a 4×2 tractor with 40t total towing weight at 20 °C outdoor temperature in long-haul traffic and may differ from the values determined according to Regulation (EU) 2017/2400.

[3] Based on internal simulations, as a binding and uniform standard for the megawatt charging system (MCS) is currently still being worked on.