More than 15,000 kilometers traveled on fully electric drive
The Mercedes-Benz Truck company has successfully completed a European tour with eActros 600 models. After a 45-day all-electric journey through a total of 22 countries, two near-production Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 prototypes successfully returned to Wert am Rhein with more than 15,000 kilometers on the clock. During that time, the two e-trucks traveled exactly 15,269 and 15,939 kilometers, thus completing the journey, which they completed with a towing train mass of 40 tons. On the entire route, these two trucks were filled exclusively at public charging stations.
Christoph Weber, head of global testing at Mercedes-Benz Trucks: “The two test vehicles completed the tour with top marks. We can look back on almost seven weeks of exciting experiences and meetings that allowed us to gather a lot of valuable impressions and data. Such a monumental journey requires careful preparation and planning, especially in terms of charging batteries on public infrastructure. Even though our experiences with charging stops varied widely in some cases, it was clear that electric drive for long-haul transportation was feasible. The eActros 600’s range of 500 kilometers without charging has always been a reliable planning factor.”
The tour was followed by about 30 journalists from 20 European countries, most of whom were behind the wheel. “I would especially like to thank the colleagues who organized and supported this trip and who returned our trucks safe and sound to Vert – including the many members of the media who were constant members of our test team throughout the tour,” Weber continues. .
The manufacturer will provide information on specific insights and results from the “Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 European Testing Tour 2024” as part of the IAA Transportation show in Hanover in September.
The northernmost and southernmost points in Europe as the highlights of the tour
The tour officially kicked off from Frankfurt am Main on June 11. After traveling north through Germany, Denmark and Sweden, the two trucks reached the first major point of the stage, the North Cape in Norway, the most northerly point in Europe that can be reached by road, just in time for the Midsummer celebrations. From the end of June onwards, the convoy route turned south through Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, France and Spain. After a stop in Tarifa, Spain, the southernmost point in continental Europe, which also marked the next big highlight of the tour, the journey headed north again – back to Germany via Portugal, France, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg.
Gaining experience on a wide range of routes with an eye on energy consumption
With the “eActros 600 European Testing Tour 2024”, Mercedes-Benz Trucks intended to gain extensive experience on a wide range of routes in different topographies and climate zones with insight into energy consumption. The manufacturer intends to share this knowledge with interested customers.
A high battery capacity of over 600 kilowatt hours and a new, particularly efficient electric drive axle developed in-house enable the eActros 600 to achieve a range of 500 kilometers without recharging.
O eActrosu 600
About 60 percent of Mercedes-Benz Trucks customers’ long journeys in Europe are shorter than 500 kilometers, which means that the infrastructure for charging at the depot and at the loading and unloading points is sufficient in such cases. For all other uses, the continued expansion of public charging infrastructure is vital to make the electric truck viable for long-haul transport across Europe. In addition to CCS charging up to 400 kW, the eActros 600 will later enable megawatt charging (MCS). In April this year, development engineers from Mercedes-Benz Trucks successfully charged the eActros 600 prototype for the first time at a one-megawatt charging station at the in-house development and test center in Vertu on the Rhine. Customers can order pre-installation for MCS. As soon as MCS technology becomes available and standardized among manufacturers, it is planned to be retrofitted to these early eActros 600 models. The batteries can be charged from 20 to 80 percent in about 30 minutes at a suitable charging station with an output of about one megawatt.
Visually, the long-haul e-truck features a fundamentally new, clean design with clean lines and an aerodynamic shape. When it comes to profitability for fleet operators, the electric truck aims to set new standards, replacing most diesel trucks in the long-term in the important segment of long-haul transport. The core of Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ concept for long-distance electric transport is to offer customers a holistic solution consisting of vehicle technology, consulting, charging infrastructure and services.
PR announcement
Source: autoblog.rs
