Mercedes-Benz tests eActros 600 in 44 deg C in Spain

Mercedes-Benz Trucks has announced successful completion of summer testing of the battery-electric eActros 600 for long-distance haulage. For around five weeks, test engineers put the electric truck through its paces at high temperatures of up to 44 degrees Celsius in Andalusia in southern Spain.

The scope of testing ranged from the functionality of the air-conditioning system at high temperatures to the performance of the electric powertrain and battery thermal management to measurements during charging processes at rapid charging stations.

After completion of the tests, a prototype also completed the over 2,000-kilometre return from Granada via Valencia, Barcelona, Montpellier and Lyon back to the Mercedes-Benz Trucks development and testing center in Wörth am Rhein on its own wheels. On October 10, the eActros 600 will celebrate its world premiere. The vehicle is planned to be ready for series production in 2024.

Dr. Konrad Götz, Deputy Head of Global Testing Mercedes-Benz Trucks: “We have subjected the eActros 600 to rigorous testing procedures since last year. After winter testing in Finland in freezing cold temperatures down to minus 25 deg Celsius and initial tests on public roads, the electric truck now had to prove itself at over 40 degrees Celsius in Spain. The eActros 600 mastered the challenging tests with ease. In the next step, we're now looking forward to testing in real-life operation with our customers.”

Three battery packs provide the eActros 600 with an installed total capacity of over 600 kWh; two electric motors as part of the new e-axle generate a continuous output of 400 kW as well as a peak output of over 600 kW

A new design language for the driver’s cab of the eActros 600 breaks with the familiar look of the Actros model series, picks up design elements from the concept prototype presented at the IAA and continues them with clear lines and an aerodynamic design. The interior is also being upgraded.

Three battery packs provide the eActros 600 with an installed total capacity of over 600 kWh in series production and two electric motors as part of the new e-axle generate a continuous output of 400 kW as well as a peak output of over 600 kW. In addition to the tractor unit, Mercedes-Benz Trucks will also produce rigid variants of the eActros 600 right at market launch. This will offer customers numerous other possible use cases in fully electric transport.

Development engineers at Mercedes-Benz Trucks are designing the eActros 600 so that the vehicle and its components meet the same durability requirements as a comparable conventional heavy long-distance Actros. That means 1.2 million kilometres on the road over a period of 10 years.

The batteries used in the eActros 600 employ lithium-iron phosphate cell technology (LFP). These are characterized, above all, by a long service life and more usable energy. The developers of Mercedes-Benz Trucks aim for the batteries of the production eActros 600 to be capable of being charged from 20 to 80 percent in under 30 minutes at a charging station with an output of about one megawatt.

According to the truck maker, the core of the Mercedes-Benz Trucks concept for battery-electric long-distance transport is to offer customers a holistic solution consisting of vehicle technology, consulting, charging infrastructure and services. The eActros 600 is planned to be the right choice for customers in terms of profitability, sustainability and reliability.