Germany – On October 10, 2023, Daimler Truck AG of Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Baden-Württemberg launched the Mercedes Benz eActros 600 long-haul battery-electric tractor unit in Hamburg, Germany. Taking yet another major step towards full electrification of its truck fleet, Karin Rådström, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Trucks, speaking at the launch announced that series production in Wörth, Germany, would start in Q4, 2024. At the launch Rådström said that prototypes were currently being tested with select customers and that there were signed letters of intent from customers for thousands of eActros 600 vehicles, despite the purchase price expected to be 2.5 times its diesel equivalent.

With a gross combination weight of 44 tonnes, the vehicle can do 500km on a single charge. The LFP (lithium iron phosphate) battery pack consists of three 207 KWH batteries providing a capacity of 621 KWH (600 KWH usable) designed to cover a total of 1.2 million kilometres in its lifespan. Batteries charged at 20% of capacity take 30 minutes to reach 80% charge, it added. More than 80 percent CO2 savings are possible compared to diesel trucks over the entire life cycle.

A new cab design promises to deliver more aerodynamic performance than the eActros 300 and 400. New ABA 6 safety and performance features such as predictive power drive control predict the geography of the road helping avoid unnecessary braking and acceleration.

The ‘e-axle*,’ which is designed in-house, has two electric motors which produce a power output of 400kW and a peak output of over 600 kW, are coupled with a four-speed transmission specifically for use in heavy-duty long-haul transport.

Rådström admitted that the lack of public charging infrastructure was a concern, but the joint venture with Traton and Volvo to build over 1700 high-performance charging points across Europe, aims to resolve this issue.

Design engineers at the event mentioned the extensive cold winter (Finland) and summer testing (Spain) that took place to assess, in particular, the air conditioning system, the electric powertrain and the battery thermal management system.

Karin Rådström said:

The eActros 600 stands for the transformation of road freight transport towards CO2-neutrality like no other truck with a three-pointed star. It is characterized by highly innovative drive technology that can offer our customers particularly high energy efficiency and thus profitability. This makes entry into e-mobility even more attractive for fleet operators.

*The eActros 600 can recuperate with a maximum of 600 kW. It has a pair of permanently synchronous motors in the eAxle, delivering a continuous output of 400 kW, and peak power of 600 kW. It does so by using four ‘gears’ – effectively a range change. The 800-volt architecture is what allows us to accept charging speeds of up to 400kW on CCS (Combined Charging System), and even more on MCS (Megawatt Charging System).