Across Europe with the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600

Mercedes-Benz Trucks has successfully completed the European tour with the eActros 600. After a 45-day all-electric development tour through 22 countries, the two near-production prototypes of the eActros 600 arrived back in Wörth am Rhein with over 15,000 kilometres more on the clock.

The two e-trucks covered exactly 15,269 and 15,939 kilometres respectively in this time, completing the trip with a total train weight of 40 tonnes each. Along the entire route, the developers charged the two long-distance lorries exclusively at public charging points.

»Such a mammoth tour requires meticulous preparation and planning, especially with regard to charging at public infrastructure. Even though we had some very different experiences during the charging stops, it has been shown that long-distance battery-electric transport is possible. The 500 kilometre range of the eActros 600 with one battery charge was always a reliable planning parameter for us,« reports Christof Weber, Head of Global Testing Mercedes-Benz Trucks.

The manufacturer intends to present the specific findings and results from the »Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 European Testing Tour 2024« at the IAA Transportation in Hanover in September.

Europe's northernmost and southernmost points as tour highlights

The official start of the tour was on 11 June in Frankfurt am Main. After travelling north through Germany, Denmark and Sweden, the two trucks reached the first major stage highlight just in time for midsummer: the North Cape in Norway, the northernmost point in Europe that can be reached by road. From the end of June, the convoy continued southwards through Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, France and Spain. After a stop in Tarifa, Spain, the southernmost town on the European mainland, as the next major highlight of the tour, the journey headed north again - through Portugal, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg back to Germany.

Important experience with regard to energy requirements

During the test tour, Mercedes-Benz Trucks gained extensive experience on a wide variety of routes in different topographies and climatic zones with regard to energy consumption. The manufacturer then intends to share these findings with interested customers.

The high battery capacity of over 600 kWh and a new, particularly efficient electric drive axle developed in-house enable the eActros 600 to have a range of 500 kilometres without intermediate charging.

Megawatt charging can be retrofitted

Around 60 percent of long-distance journeys made by Mercedes-Benz Trucks customers in Europe are shorter than 500 kilometres, meaning that charging infrastructure at the depot and at the loading and unloading points is sufficient for these cases. For all other applications, the continuous development of a public charging infrastructure is an essential prerequisite for making the electric truck fully operational for pan-European long-distance transport.

In addition to CCS charging with up to 400 kW, the eActros 600 will later also enable megawatt charging (MCS). In April, developers from 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 the company's own development and test centre in Wörth am Rhein. Customers can order pre-equipment for MCS. As soon as the MCS technology is available and standardised across manufacturers, it will be possible to retrofit it to these eActros 600 models. The batteries can be charged from 20 to 80 per cent in around 30 minutes at a corresponding charging station with around one megawatt of power.