Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 teased

Following on from the reveal of the Mercedes-Benz eActros LongHaul at the 200 IAA commercial vehicle expo in Hanover, Germany, last September, Daimler has now confirmed the model – designated in production form as the eActros 600 – will make its world debut on October 10.

Named in reference to the truck’s battery capacity in kilowatt hours, the eActros 600 is billed by Mercedes-Benz as “the most economical long-distance truck from Mercedes-Benz Trucks compared to the conventional diesel Actros”, with its 600kWh battery capacity – hence its new name – affording an approximate range of around 500km on a single change.

After its release, the eActros 600 will head up the brand’s electric truck range, which also encompasses models such as the eActros 300/400, and eEconic, among others, but features several changes compared to the prototype that was shown in Hanover last year.

Mercedes-Benz says the cab’s exterior has been updated, incorporating a “new design language” with “clear lines and an aerodynamic design”, while the interior has also come in for a revision.

The eActros 600’s higher battery capacity has been mated with a new, more efficient e-axle, which incorporates two electric motors to generate continuous output of 400kW, as well as peak output of 600kW.

The Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries are said to offer a long service life and more usable energy, and can be charged from 20 to 80 per cent capacity in under 30 minutes with the use of a high-output, one megawatt charger.

Mercedes-Benz is currently building a fleet of around 50 protoypes of the eActros 600, which will begin customer trials shortly. The truck also underwent cold-weather testing in Finland early this year.

Series production is slated for 2024, with the eActros 600 to be offered in both prime mover and rigid formats.

The new model will be built at Daimler’s Wörth plant, parallel to and alongside production of conventional Mercedes-Benz trucks, with components also coming from Mercedes-Benz plants at Mannheim (the ‘front box’, comprising several control units, high-voltage components and the electric air compressor), Gaggenau (various e-axle components), and Kassel (e-axle assembly and electric drive systems). Mercedes-Benz says all these sites are ramping up to accommodate the transition to electric mobility.

According to Karin Rådström, CEO Mercedes-Benz Trucks (pictured below), the new model will meet a wide range of customers’ needs.

“The eActros 600, produced in Wörth, is able to replace the majority of diesel trucks in the important long-haul segment, as it sets new standards in terms of cost-effectiveness for our customers,” she said.

“It also offers huge potential for reducing CO2 emissions. I am convinced that this truck will define the new benchmark in road freight transport.”

And Yaris Pürsün, Head of Global Powersystems Operation, Daimler Truck said Mercedes-Benz was accelerating its efforts in electrification and the shift to fossil-free road transport. “With the eActros 600, the focus of production at our Mercedes-Benz Powersystems plants in Mannheim, Kassel and Gaggenau is shifting more and more to e-mobility,” he said.

“We therefore started to make preparations at an early stage by setting up a production and technology network of competence centres for electric drive components and are already in the midst of preparing for series production of the new generation of our power units.”