Mercedes-Benz has revealed the prototype eActros 600, a long haul electric truck with a driving range of 500 km.
As reported earlier this month by TheDriven, the Mercedes-Benz eActros 300 electric truck was recently shown off to Australian fleet buyers. Available here in medium to heavy truck configurations offering up to 40 tonne Gross Combination Weight (GCW), the eActros 300 features an eAxle drive system and up to 334 kWh of battery.
Local range testing of the eActros 300 by Daimler Trucks achieving 300 km fully loaded, with 20% battery capacity still remaining.
However, like all parts of the EV transition, that is not the final word on the technology! At the recent UK Road Transport Expo, Mercedes-Benz revealed the prototype eActros 600.
With a 600 kWh battery, it will offer a driving range of 500 kms, as well as a 20 minute 20% to 80% charging time when using the new Megawatt Charging System (MCS). With the use of the MCS charging system, top-ups during statutory breaks should mean the eActros 600 has the potential to cover up to 1,000 km in a day.
The new lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery system contains no nickel or cobalt and comprises three packs, each of 207 kWh. It has a design life of up to 1.2 million km over 10 years – after which the battery ‘state of health’ should still be over 80%.
The eActros 600 is expected to enter series production this year, with UK deliveries to begin soon after.
As to when it will hit our shores, The Driven have reached out to Daimler Trucks Australia and will provide an update once they reply. However – without the MCS system, really long distance haulage will not yet be possible. Mind-you, it would expand the possible use cases the eActros currently offers so we can only hope it will not be too far behind the UK launch.
By the way, to those naysayers that say long-haul electric trucks ‘will never happen’: it is worth remembering here (as noted in my recent article on EV choices for towing a caravan) that the EV transition is not a uniform one.
Whilst some sections are moving into the ‘early majority’ market (with infrastructure to match) the towing and trucking sectors are very much still in the ‘innovators’ phase. (Innovators being the first 2.5% of buyers that happens before the ‘early adopter’ appears on the scene).
As such, charging infrastructure meeting their specific needs is still in its infancy. Mind-you, the planning for such charging (including a roll-out of the MCS system here) is happening, so it may not be as long as some people think before you pass a silent, fume-less electric semi-trailer on you next interstate trip!
12.6.24:
Update from Daimler Truck Australia-Pacific Sales and Marketing Vice President, Andrew Assimo: “We will be carrying out a local validation of this truck in Australia next year. It’s exciting, but we do need to determine how it would work in Australia with our reduced front axle weight allowances compared to Europe.”
Bryce Gaton is an expert on electric vehicles and contributor for The Driven and Renew Economy. He has been working in the EV sector since 2008 and is currently working as EV electrical safety trainer/supervisor for the University of Melbourne. He also provides support for the EV Transition to business, government and the public through his EV Transition consultancy EVchoice.