Mercedes reveals new eActros 600 electric long-haul truck

Mercedes-Benz has revealed a new, battery-electric long-haul truck.

Called the eActros 600, the truck is said to utilise three battery packs that utilise lithium iron phosphate cell technology to give it a whopping total capacity of 621kWh.

The completely closed and rounded-off front not only looks futuristic, but also aids the aerodynamic efficiency of the eActros 600

This capacity will allow the truck to clock a range of 500km, and can also be charged at up to 400kWh, although Mercedes does also state that customers will be able to order their eActros 600 with a pre-installation that will allow charging speeds of up to one megawatt once the technology becomes available and is standardised across manufacturers. At that rate, the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 will be able to top up its batteries from a 20% to an 80% state-of-charge in just 30 minutes.

More interesting perhaps, is the fact that Mercedes claims this new chemistry should allow the battery to retain a state of health of over 80%, even after the truck has covered 1.2 million kilometres in 10 years of operation.

This battery is utilised to animate an 800V electric axle comprising two electric motors and a four-speed transmission specifically for use in heavy-duty long-haul transport. Here, the eActros 600 is said to be able to deliver a continuous output of 536bhp as well as a peak output of 804bhp.

Mercedes-Benz's Multimedia Cockpit Interactive 2 cabin architecture will keep the driver continuously informed about the charge levels of the batteries and the current and average energy consumption

Up front, you must have already noticed the extensive work done to optimise the aerodynamic efficiency of the truck. The eActros 600 gets a completely closed and rounded-off front, as well as extended end flaps, air deflectors on the A-pillars, underbody panelling, and a spoiler on the roof all contribute to the truck’s range. The cab design of the eActros 600 is said to be 9% more aerodynamically efficient than the current Actros cab.

Sales of the eActros 600 will start later in 2023, and start of series production in planned for the end of 2024. A fleet of around 50 prototype vehicles, however, is already currently being built, with some of these said to already be put into practical testing with customers.

Mercedes states that the eActros 600 can achieve CO₂ savings of around 40% compared to a comparable diesel Actros, although this figures rises to a high of 80% over the entire product life cycle of 10 years from raw material extraction, if charging is done fully with renewable energy.