Mercedes-Benz Trucks debuts battery-electric long-haul eActros 600

The Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 can drive 500 kilometers without needing intermediate charging while carrying 22 tons of payload. (Photo: Daimler Truck AG)

Mercedes-Benz Trucks has introduced the eActros 600, a 44-ton heavy-duty electric truck that the manufacturer will start selling this year before series production begins at the end of 2024.

The long-haul, battery-powered truck will be able to drive more than 1000 kilometers per day with intermediate charging during legally prescribed driver breaks – with a range of 500 kilometers without intermediate charging – and can carry approximately 22 tons with a standard trailer.

Mercedes-Benz said it designed the heavy-duty electric truck to define the new standard in terms of technology, sustainability, design and profitability, as the eActros 600 can offer possibly 80 percent CO2 savings compared to a diesel truck over its entire life cycle.

“The eActros 600 stands for the transformation of road freight transport towards CO2-neutrality like no other truck with a three-pointed star,” said Karin Rådström, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Trucks. “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 truck, which a new electric drive axle developed by Mercedes-Benz, is powered by batteries that have a capacity of more than 600 kilowatt hours – hence the model’s 600 designation.

The batteries can be charged from 20 to 80 percent in about 30 minutes at a suitable charging station with an output of 1 MW.

The manufacturer said it is producing a fleet of approximately 50 prototype vehicles, and some will be tested by a group of first customers in the next step of development.