Mercedes-Benz Trucks has announced that the two electric trucks in the “eActros 600 European Testing Tour 2024” have reached the next major checkpoint.
The truck manufacturer says these test vehicles have undergone a 32-day test drive through 18 countries so far, reaching Tarifa, the southernmost point in mainland Europe, at the weekend.
The vehicles were charged exclusively at public charging points over the 10,697 kilometers traveled to Tarifa. One charging stop was made per day, always at the end of the respective daily stage.
The two battery-electric eActros 600 vehicles officially began their test tour through Europe in Frankfurt am Main on June 11. After their journey north through Germany, Denmark and Sweden, the two trucks reached the North Cape in Norway.
Then, from the end of June, the convoy, with a gross combination mass of 40 tons for each truck, traveled south through Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, France and Spain.
After the stop in Tarifa, the journey will head north again – through Portugal, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg back to Germany. The e-trucks are expected to return home at the end of July.
Commenting, Dr. Christof Weber, Head of Global Testing at Mercedes-Benz Trucks, said:
“The tour so far has shown us that battery-powered long-haul transport is already possible in Europe today. The two eActros 600 prototypes have proven to be extremely reliable companions – in demanding landscapes as well as in wind, rainy weather or outside temperatures above 30 degrees. The range of 500 kilometers on one battery charge and the 40-ton gross combination mass specified by us have been proven to be realistic. Up to this point on the tour, we have only charged at public charging points. On the northern stage, we were almost always able to approach the charging station overlay with the complete semitrailer. However, as we continued on our route to the south, it became clear that we would have to unhitch the towing machine to access some of the charging station overlays.”
Mercedes-Benz Trucks says the test is intended to gain extensive experience on a wide range of routes in different topographies and climate zones with an eye on energy consumption. The manufacturer intends to then share these findings with interested customers.
