Two new eActros 600 concept trucks have set off from Frankfurt am Main, Germany, on an 8,000-mile tour of Europe. Mercedes-Benz Trucks is hailing the journey as the most comprehensive test of a battery-electric truck in its history. Mercedes-Benz completed a similar European evaluation process last year.
The two long-distance electric trucks will travel through more than 20 countries in trial runs. Each truck transports 40 tons of gross towing weight in trailers behind it.
Mercedes-Benz CEO behind the wheel
Dubbed the 2024 eActros 600 European Test Tour, Mercedes-Benz said the aim of the drive was ambitious. The two pioneering eActros 600s electric vehicles will travel to and across the northernmost and southernmost points of continental Europe: North Cape in Norway and Tarifa in Spain.
The tour started unofficially at the Mercedes-Benz Trucks site in Wörth am Rhein and the Daimler Truck AG headquarters in Leinfelden-Echterdingen. There, Karin Radström, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Trucks, took a spin behind the wheel of one of the eActros for the first few kilometres.
“I would like to thank our engineers who started the journey with the eActros 600,” said Radstrom after her drive. “The vehicle technology for the transition is ready. Long-distance battery electric transportation is possible in Europe. Now policy and the energy sector must work together in collaboration with OEMs to move forward in building public charging infrastructure.”
Mercedes-Benz engineers expect the tour to give them valuable experience with electric trucks on a wide range of roads, climates and geographic conditions. One of the primary objectives will be to study the energy consumption of trucks during trial runs.
General shipping only
Mercedes-Benz said the eActros features a high battery capacity of more than 600 kWh and a new, efficient electric drive axle developed in-house. These features give the trucks a range of up to 500 km (310 mi) without the need for an intermediate charge.
The intention is to charge the batteries exclusively at public charging stations during the tour.
The flight will pass through Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Monaco, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg. .
New eActros design
According to Mercedes-Benz Trucks, around 60% of its customers’ long journeys in Europe are shorter than 500 kilometres. This means that the charging infrastructure in the warehouse and at loading and unloading points is sufficient for most fleets, the company said.
For all other uses, the continued expansion of public charging infrastructure is vital to make the electric truck viable for long-distance transport across Europe.
In addition to up to 400 kW CCS charging, the eActros 600 will later enable megawatt charging (MCS).
In April this year, Mercedes-Benz Truck developers succeeded for the first time in charging a prototype of the eActros 600 truck at a charging station with a capacity of 1 MW at the in-house development and test center in Wörth am Rhein.
Mercedes-Benz said that once the MCS technology is available and standardized across manufacturers, it is planned to be updated for these early eActros 600 models.
According to OEMs, eActros batteries can be charged from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes at a suitable charging station with an output capacity of about 1 MW.
Visually, the long-range e-van features a new design with clear lines and an aerodynamic shape.
Mercedes-Benz added that the eActros electric truck is designed to replace the majority of diesel trucks in the important long-distance transportation sector in Europe.
The concept of Mercedes-Benz Trucks is to offer its customers electric fleet solutions consisting of vehicle technology, consulting, charging infrastructure and services.