Leinfelden-Echterdingen/Tarifa, Spain – The two electric trucks in the “eActros 600 European Testing Tour 2024” have reached the next major checkpoint. After their 32-day test drive through 18 countries so far, the two near-series-production eActros 600 prototypes reached Tarifa, the southernmost point in mainland Europe, at the weekend. The vehicles were charged exclusively at public charging points over the 10,697 kilometers traveled to Tarifa. One charging stop was made per day, always at the end of the respective daily stage.

Dr. Christof Weber, Head of Global Testing at Mercedes-Benz Trucks: "The tour so far has shown us that battery-powered long-haul transport is already possible in Europe today. The two eActros 600 prototypes have proven to be extremely reliable companions – in demanding landscapes as well as in wind, rainy weather or outside temperatures above 30 degrees. The range of 500 kilometers on one battery charge and the 40-ton gross combination mass specified by us have been proven to be realistic. Up to this point on the tour, we have only charged at public charging points. On the northern stage, we were almost always able to approach the charging station overlay with the complete semitrailer. However, as we continued on our route to the south, it became clear that we would have to unhitch the towing machine to access some of the charging station overlays."  

The two battery-electric eActros 600 vehicles officially began their test tour through Europe in Frankfurt am Main on June 11. After their journey north through Germany, Denmark and Sweden, the two trucks reached the first major stage highlight in time for midsummer: the North Cape in Norway, Europe's northernmost point accessible by road. From the end of June, the convoy, with a gross combination mass of 40 tons for each truck, traveled south through Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, France and Spain.

After the stop in Tarifa, the journey will head north again – through Portugal, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg back to Germany. The e-trucks are expected to return home at the end of July.

Gaining experience on a wide range of routes with an eye on energy consumption

With the “eActros 600 European Testing Tour 2024”, Mercedes-Benz Trucks intends to gain extensive experience on a wide range of routes in different topographies and climate zones with an eye on energy consumption. The manufacturer intends to then share these findings with interested customers.

The high battery capacity of over 600 kilowatt hours[1] and a new, particularly efficient electric drive axle developed in-house enable the eActros 600 to achieve a range of 500 kilometers[2] without intermediate charging. The intention for the tour is to charge the batteries exclusively at public charging stations.

About the eActros 600

Around 60 percent of long-distance journeys of Mercedes-Benz Trucks customers in Europe are shorter than 500 kilometers, which means charging infrastructure at the depot and at the loading and unloading points is sufficient in such cases. For all other uses, continual expansion of public charging infrastructure is vital in order to make the electric truck viable for long-distance haulage across Europe. In addition to CCS charging with up to 400 kW, the eActros 600 will later also enable megawatt charging (MCS). In April this year, developers from Mercedes-Benz Trucks successfully charged for the first time a prototype of the eActros 600 at a charging station with an output of one megawatt at the in-house development and testing center in Wörth am Rhein. Customers can order a pre-installation for MCS. As soon as MCS technology becomes available and is standardized across manufacturers, it is planned to be retrofittable for these early models of the eActros 600. The batteries can be charged from 20 to 80 percent[3] in about 30 minutes at a suitable charging station with an output of around one megawatt.

Visually, the long-haul e-truck is characterized by a fundamentally new, puristic design with clear lines and an aerodynamic shape. When it comes to profitability for fleet operators, the electric truck is intended to set new standards, over the long term replacing the majority of diesel trucks in the important long-haul transport segment. The core of Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ concept for battery-electric long-distance transport is to offer customers a holistic solution consisting of vehicle technology, consulting, charging infrastructure and services.

[1] The eActros 600 has three battery packs, each with 207 kWh. These offer an installed total capacity of 621 kWh. Nominal capacity of new battery, based on internally defined boundary conditions, may vary depending on use case and ambient conditions.

[2] The range was determined internally under specific test conditions, after preconditioning with a 4x2 tractor unit with 40t total towing weight at 20°C outside temperature in long-haul operation and may deviate from the values determined in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/2400.

[3] Based on internal simulations since a binding and uniform Megawatt Charging System (MCS) standard is currently under development.