Transport: Daimler Truck produces electric trucks for long-distance transport in series

The commercial vehicle manufacturer Daimler Truck has started series production of its battery-electric long-distance truck. The Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 will be built on an existing assembly line at the plant in Wörth, Rhineland-Palatinate, the company announced. Production therefore takes place parallel and flexibly alongside the trucks, which have a diesel drive.

The vehicles manufactured in the first few months will primarily be delivered to branches and dealers as demonstration vehicles. But some trucks are also expected to be produced for customers this year. It initially remained unclear how many electric trucks the group could produce in Wörth. The company said it was excellently positioned for the production of larger quantities.

Daimler Truck boss Karin Rådström said: “With a range of 500 kilometers on a single battery charge, our eActros 600 is aimed at the long-haul segment in Europe, which is responsible for two-thirds of the CO2 emissions in heavy road freight transport.” The new vehicle will therefore make a real difference. However, the heavyweight powered by electricity costs significantly more than its diesel counterpart – but should pay for itself for logistics companies through the lower operating costs.

Daimler Truck is also testing hydrogen trucks

Change is in full swing at Daimler Truck. The company is also committed to expanding the infrastructure, for example charging stations. In April, success was also reported in the fast charging of electric trucks. In the transition from combustion engines to new drives, the group is also relying on hydrogen trucks.

The aim of the company from Leinfelden-Echterdingen near Stuttgart is to only offer new vehicles in the core markets of Europe, the USA and Japan by 2039 that do not emit any climate-damaging carbon dioxide (CO2) while driving. The manufacturer is one of the world’s leading industry companies and employs more than 100,000 people.