AUTONEWS

Mercedes eACTROS LONGHAUL: the brand's electric extra-heavy truck for long journeys

The Mercedes-Benz battery-electric extra-heavy truck for long hauls is on the way. Mercedes-Benz Trucks will present the series production version of the eActros LongHaul on October 10, 2023. In its world premiere, it will arrive with a new design and its official name ‘New eActros 600’.

The 600 designation is derived from its battery capacity in kWh, as in the eActros 300/400 models for heavy hauling on urban distribution services. The high capacity of the batteries, together with a new and efficient electric motor axle developed in-house, allow for a range of around 500 kilometers without intermediate recharges. Due to its low energy consumption, the 'New eActros 600' is expected to be the most economical truck for long-distance transport by Mercedes-Benz Trucks compared to the diesel Actros.

With this launch, Mercedes-Benz Trucks expects its electric truck to significantly accelerate the shift from road haulage to CO2-free propulsion.

Since the first appearance of this electric truck as a concept prototype at the 2022 IAA Transportation Show, further test vehicles have been produced at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth, Germany, with key components sourced from the Company's plants in Mannheim, Kassel and Gaggenau. Truck prototypes were fine-tuned during winter testing in Finland earlier this year. Currently, a fleet of around 50 prototypes is being produced, with forecast for practical tests soon on the first customers. At the same time, the four factories are intensively preparing for series production of the eActros 600 and its most important components. Series production of this electric truck is scheduled for 2024.

Karin Radström, CEO Mercedes-Benz Trucks: “The eActros 600 succeeds in replacing most diesel trucks in the important long-distance freight transport segment, as it sets new standards in terms of cost-effectiveness for our customers. It also offers huge potential for reducing CO2 emissions. I am convinced that this truck will set new benchmarks for road haulage.”

Yaris Pürsün, Head of Global Powersystems Operation at Daimler Truck: “With the eActros 600, the focus of production at our Mercedes-Benz electrical systems plants in Mannheim, Kassel and Gaggenau is increasingly shifting towards electromobility. We have therefore already started to prepare by establishing a network of production and technology centers of competence for components of electric propulsion systems. We are also already in the midst of preparations for series production of the new generation of our power units.”

Series production of the electric truck in Wörth...The eActros 600 will be manufactured on the existing production line at the Wörth plant, parallel and flexibly alongside the diesel trucks. Components of the electric propulsion system will also be installed on site. The electric axle, high-voltage batteries and front box - a complex technology module - will be assembled in several production steps. When all components of the high voltage network have been installed, the entire system is put into operation and the truck is ready. In order to optimally prepare for series production, the team that starts the process works together with the developers. This ensures that the experience gained from assembling the prototypes is incorporated into series vehicles.

Factories in Mannheim, Gaggenau and Kassel supply the components...The component factories in Mannheim, Kassel and Gaggenau also play an important role in the electrification of the product portfolio. Like the Wörth plant, the three units are currently undergoing a process of switching from diesel technology to becoming centers of competence for components for electric propulsion systems.

The Mercedes-Benz plant in Mannheim, a leading unit for commercial vehicle engines, relies on its more than 25 years of experience as a Competence Center for Emission-Free Mobility (KEM) and is focused on battery technologies and high voltage.

The front box of the eActros 600 is manufactured in Mannheim. This was the case in the prototype phase and will also occur in series production. It is a complex module for battery-powered vehicles, where the installation space of combustion engines is used efficiently. Various control modules and high-voltage components, as well as the electric air compressor, are gathered in this front box. The assembly of all individual components, from frame preparation to high voltage testing of these units, is carried out at the Mannheim plant itself.

The Mercedes-Benz plant in Gaggenau, which specializes in transmissions for heavy commercial vehicles, is currently being developed to act as a Competence Center for components of electric propulsion systems. Since 2021, important parts for the electric axles of the eActros 300/400 and the eEconic have been manufactured in Gaggenau. Essential components of the new generation of the eActros 600 electric axle will also be produced at this plant, currently at prototype level, later in series production. These are mainly mechanical parts similar to those produced for conventional powertrain vehicles for many years. For example, gearbox components such as shafts and gears as well as housings, which the Gaggenau plant delivers to Kassel, where complete assembly of the axle and transmission components takes place.

The electric axles are assembled at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Kassel, which is a Competence Center for conventional axles and electric drive systems. The new generation electric axle for the eActros 600 has been specifically developed for long distance transport. It has several technical innovations for better performance and efficiency. Its architecture is based on a system designed for 800 volts.

Currently, the Kassel plant is in the prototype phase of the electric axle assembly for the eActros 600. For the start of series production, a new assembly line will be created, with test and inspection stations to verify functions and safety features. As with the electric axles of the eActros 300/400 and eEconic, which are already manufactured in Kassel, the principle of common parts also applies to the new generation. This means that the axle components, as well as the wheel and brakes, originate from the conventional axle that has been produced in Kassel for two decades.

Team training and improvement for electromobility...As part of the transformation towards CO2-free transport, Mercedes-Benz Trucks, at all its production sites, is continuously training its teams to produce trucks with the new propulsion systems. This includes employees who work with the high voltage components or with vehicles such as the eActros. In this sense, they are undergoing training and specific education. In Wörth alone, to date, around 2,700 employees have been trained internally for vehicles with high voltage systems and components.

About the eActros 600...A new design language for the driver's cab of the eActros 600 breaks with the familiar look and feel of the Actros model series. In addition, there is also a reuse of design elements from the concept prototype presented at IAA Transportation 2022, continuing with clean lines and streamlined design. The cabin interior also gets an upgrade.

In series production, three battery packs will give the eActros 600 a total installed capacity of over 600 kWh. Two electric motors as part of the new electric axle generate a continuous power of 400 kW as well as a maximum power of over 600 kW.

In addition to the tractor, Mercedes-Benz Trucks will also produce rigid versions of the eActros 600 from market launch. With this, it will offer customers many possibilities of use within all-electric transport. Development engineers designed the eActros 600 in such a way that the vehicle and its components meet the same durability requirements as offered by extra-heavy long-haul Actros trucks. That means 1.2 million kilometers of road over a period of ten years.

The batteries used in the eActros 600 employ Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) cell technology. They are characterized above all by a long service life and more usable energy. The developers at Mercedes-Benz Trucks estimate that the series production eActros 600 batteries can achieve a 20% to 80% recharge in less than 30 minutes at a charging point with a power of around one megawatt.

Central to the Mercedes-Benz Trucks concept for the electrification of long-distance transport is to offer customers a complete solution comprising vehicle technology, consultancy, charging infrastructure and services. The eActros 600 was designed to be the best choice in terms of cost effectiveness, sustainability and reliability.

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