• Activity to raise awareness of e-mobility, road safety and driver image
• GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for “the longest distance driving in reverse in an articulate truck (individual)”
• New e-flagship to drive backwards more than 100 kilometers without interruption
   - current record from 2020 around 89 kilometers (diesel truck, USA) , USA)
• Record attempt at the beginning of June with electric truck tractor unit with semitrailer
• At the wheel: German Armed Forces officer Marco Hellgrewe (50), initiator and holder of the record from 2008
• Record-breaking drive on closed-off route in Oschersleben, Saxony Anhalt
• Followed by 30 kilometers in reverse on public roads (planned)
• Finishing line at the new Daimler Truck Global Parts Center in Halberstadt 

Leinfelden-Echterdingen/Oschersleben/Halberstadt – Mercedes-Benz Trucks is planning an unusual activity to draw attention to topics relevant to the transport industry and society: electrification, road safety and truck driver image. For this purpose, the manufacturer will have its new e-flagship, the battery-electric eActros 600 long-haul truck, including a semitrailer, reverse more than 100 kilometers without a break. Mercedes-Benz Trucks intends to bring the previous GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title from 2020, which stood at around 89 kilometers and was set in the USA with a diesel truck, back to Germany. The drive in reverse is scheduled to take place in Oschersleben in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt on June 4th. Mercedes-Benz Trucks plans to set the new record on a closed-off track and then, independently of the record attempt, to reverse around 30 kilometers on public roads. The finishing line is at the Daimler Truck Global Parts Center in Halberstadt, also in Saxony-Anhalt. The new location will officially open on July 10th. Starting this year, it will gradually take on worldwide deliveries of spare parts for Mercedes-Benz Trucks.

Marco Hellgrewe (50) from Werneuchen near Berlin, an officer in the German Armed Forces and a truck enthusiast, set his record in 2008. Back then, he covered a distance of 64 kilometers in a diesel truck. Hellgrewe kicked off the new all-electric record attempt and will be at the wheel of the eActros 600. 

Marco Hellgrewe, initiator of the electric record attempt and driver of the eActros 600: “As a passionate truck driver, it is an honor for me to try to set this record again. A lot has happened in terms of technology since my first record-breaking drive – and to date no one in the world has taken this record with an electric truck. The eActros 600 represents the future of electric mobility in long-distance haulage and shows how manufacturers are successfully breaking new ground. Reversing for so many hours is a big challenge, but the test drives so far have gone very well. It’s a lot of fun and very pleasant to be on the road with the eActros 600. I would like to take this opportunity to already express my heartfelt thanks to Mercedes-Benz Trucks for all their support.”

Rainer Müller-Finkeldei, Head of Product Engineering Mercedes-Benz Trucks: “We are very pleased that Marco Hellgrewe first thought of Mercedes-Benz Trucks and our eActros 600 for his new record attempt. His idea of reversing in an all-electric vehicle now testifies to a pioneering spirit which we as a driving force behind the transformation can identify with. At the same time, the activity gives us the opportunity to attract greater attention to important future topics in the public domain.”

Müller-Finkeldei continues: “Like no other e-truck with the star at the front, our eActros 600 stands for the fact that the right electric vehicles are available. But more momentum is needed to create further purchase incentives for our customers and to drive forward the development of the charging infrastructure. As a manufacturer, we have always been one of the pioneers in road safety with our assistance systems. Our eActros 600 even exceeds legal requirements in some cases. In addition, the awareness of all road users must also be raised. The image of professional drivers in the public domain is close to our hearts because we build our vehicles for them. Especially in view of the growing shortage of drivers, it is essential that they also receive the appropriate recognition for their hard work for society. Reversing is a central part of their day-to-day work and what the drivers achieve in this respect is almost an art in itself.”

Driving for a good cause

In the course of the record attempt, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is cooperating with the associations Blicki e.V. and PROFI - Pro Fahrer-Image e. V. The manufacturer is offering them a platform for their respective concerns – in particular promoting the necessity of educating children on how to behave correctly in road traffic and greater appreciation of driving as a profession. For example, the associations’ logos are being displayed on the eActros 600 and the semitrailer used in the record attempt. The Blicki association plans to conduct traffic safety training courses at schools in Halberstadt. In addition, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is providing financial support to the two organizations as part of the record attempt. 

Prof. Dr. Dirk Engelhardt, Chairman of the Board of Management of PROFI – Pro Fahrer-Image e.V., commented on the record-breaking drive in reverse as follows: “We are very happy to support this project because it reinforces awareness of the important role of professional drivers in our society. The record attempt provides an excellent platform to increase appreciation for this profession. The activity also shows how innovative technologies can make a positive contribution to the future of transportation.”

Dirk Hendler, Managing Director of Blicki e.V.: “This project is a great opportunity to raise awareness of road safety among children and families. We are excited to be part of this and spread our message in this way. With our nationwide workshops under the auspices of the Federal Minister of Transport, we have already trained more than 80,000 primary school children on how to interact with large vehicles.”

Reversing to Halberstadt with a police escort 

Marco Hellgrewe, the initiator of the record attempt and driver, intends to set the new record by driving on the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben racetrack. With its 14 tight bends designed for cars, the circuit is extremely demanding – but nevertheless offers fewer unpredictable risks of having to stop and thus interrupt the record attempt than public roads. After a rest period, Hellgrewe then intends to take up the additional challenge of driving backwards on public roads under a police escort for an additional 30 kilometers to Halberstadt. In both parts, he is expected to be travelling mostly at speeds between 10 and 20 kilometers per hour. 

About the eActros 600

Mercedes-Benz Trucks celebrated the series launch of the eActros 600 at the end of November last year at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth. Deliveries to customers began in December 2024. The electric flagship from Mercedes-Benz Trucks has already proven its capabilities several times under real-life conditions: In customer use and as part of the “eActros 600 European Testing Tour 2024”, a 15,000-kilometer all-electric development trip through a total of 22 countries and the “European Testing Tour Winter 2025” on around 6,500 kilometers through Northern Europe, each with a gross combination mass of 40 tons. In addition, the e-truck was voted “International Truck of the Year 2025”. The award is the most important prize in the industry and is presented annually by the International Truck of the Year (IToY) organization, consisting of 24 commercial vehicle journalists from Europe

The high battery capacity of over 600 kilowatt hours - hence the model designation 600 – and a new, particularly efficient electric drive axle developed in-house enable the electric truck to achieve a range of 500 kilometers^[1] without intermediate charging. This range is accomplished under very realistic and practical conditions with a gross combination mass of 40 tons, which can also be significantly exceeded depending on the driving style and the route. The eActros 600 will even be able to cover well over 1,000 kilometers per day. Intermediate charging during statutory driver breaks makes this possible, provided that charging options are available.

The eActros 600 has three battery packs, each with 207 kWh^[2]. These offer an installed total capacity of 621 kWh. The batteries are based on lithium iron phosphate cell technology (LFP) and are characterized by a long service life. The development engineers at Mercedes-Benz Trucks designed the eActros 600 to meet the same requirements for the durability of vehicles and components as a comparable conventional heavy-duty long-haul Actros. This means up to 1.2 million kilometers in ten years of operation. After this period of use, the battery state of health should still be above 80 percent. In contrast to other battery cell technologies, more than 95 percent of the installed capacity can also be used with LFP technology. This enables a higher range with the same amount of installed battery capacity. The vehicle is technically designed for a gross combination mass of up to 44 tons. With a standard semitrailer, the eActros 600 has a payload of around 22 tons in the EU. In some cases, national law may allow a higher payload.

About the need for charging infrastructure and the activities of Daimler Truck

For the fastest possible ramp-up of locally CO2-neutral road freight transportation with battery-electric trucks, the charging infrastructure is one of the pivotal points. However, there is still a lot to catch up on. There are currently fewer than 1,000 charging points for heavy commercial vehicles across Europe. To at least partially compensate for the existing deficit, Daimler Truck announced a concept for its own semi-public charging network in March of this year. It is planned to extend to over 3,000 fast charging points in Europe by 2030, making it the largest in Europe. The new semi-public charging option for electric trucks, as a solution provided by the Daimler Truck brand TruckCharge, is intended to enable depots to open their charging infrastructure for third-party paid use. This is planned to be a supplement to the public charging services offered by Milence, among other providers. Milence was founded in July 2022 as a joint venture between Daimler Truck, the TRATON GROUP and the Volvo GROUP and has set itself the goal of setting up and operating 1,700 high-performance public charging points in Europe by 2027.

About Daimler Truck’s new Global Parts Center

Since the foundation stone was officially laid in autumn 2023, the Daimler Truck Global Parts Center has grown at a rapid pace on a site of around 900,000 square meters in the “Industriepark Ost” business park of Halberstadt. The new building will have a built-up gross floor area of around 270,000 square meters and will serve around 20 regional logistics centers worldwide in a three-stage logistics process – for example in various European countries, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil or China. These in turn will supply the regional dealers with the parts. Halberstadt will thus become the heart of the worldwide spare parts supply chain of Mercedes-Benz Trucks. 

About using electronic helpers to protect all road users

One of Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ high standards is for drivers and all other road users to be safe on the road. To this end, the assistance systems available in the various model series ensure, among other things, that drivers can recognize dangers in good time, brake in good time and keep an overview of the traffic situation. In particular, the electronic helpers can help to minimize the consequences of moments of inattentiveness, such as due to fatigue, stress or distraction, for everyone involved. Whether Active Brake Assist 6, Active Sideguard Assist 2, Front Guard Assist, Active Drive Assist 3, Traffic Sign Assist or Attention Assist, for example: With security features like these, the company underpins its position as one of the pioneers in the industry. 

With all assistance systems, Mercedes-Benz Trucks pursues the goal of supporting the driver in driving the vehicle as well as possible within the system’s limits. However, as stipulated by law, drivers always remain fully responsible for the safe operation of the vehicle.

The MirrorCam, the mirror camera system developed by Mercedes-Benz Trucks that plays an important role for the reverse driving record attempt, can contribute to mastering situations such as overtaking, maneuvering, driving in poor visibility and darkness, cornering and passing through narrow spaces even more safely and stress-free. Wide-angle mode when maneuvering in reverse, distance lines on the display for better estimation of the distance to objects behind the vehicle, swiveling of the camera image when cornering or monitoring the vehicle’s surroundings during breaks are further helpful functions. The interaction of the MirrorCam with Sideguard Assist from Mercedes-Benz Trucks, especially in complex traffic situations and confusing intersection areas, can also help to reduce the severity of dangerous situations. Sideguard Assist uses the display of the MirrorCam for the visual warnings.

About Blicki

According to Blicki, every 20 minutes a child is involved in a traffic accident in Germany. Blicki e.V. is committed to the safety of children. With Blicki, the kangaroo mascot, and the support of Blicki’s patron, the Federal Minister of Transport, the non-profit association has already educated more than 80,000 primary school children throughout Germany on how to navigate road traffic. It is supported by a broad alliance of partners: www.blicki-blickts.de/support 

About PROFI

PROFI acts as an ambassador for drivers. The association improves the image of the profession, promotes young talent and fights for better working conditions. As a link between politics, business and drivers, it increases visibility, appreciation and safety. PROFI is present at important industry and job fairs and uses digital channels to raise awareness of the working and living environment of drivers – for a strong future of the driver’s profession!

_{[1] The range was determined internally under specific test conditions, after preconditioning with a 4x2 tractor unit with a 40 tons 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.}

_{[2] Nominal capacity of a new battery, based on internally defined boundary conditions. This may vary depending on the application and ambient conditions.}