Heavy-duty electric trucks continue to prove their operational efficiency in real-world conditions, as the German logistics company DEFRU Logistik GmbH successfully transformed a large part of its fleet by deploying 30 heavy-duty electric trucks of the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 model to cover distances exceeding 1,000 kilometers (about 620 miles) daily on the German highway network seven days a week.
Performance Details and Technical Capabilities of the Truck
The eActros 600 trucks rely on a massive battery pack with a capacity of 621 kilowatt-hours, giving the truck a driving range of about 500 kilometers on a single charge before needing to recharge. Logistics service companies take advantage of goods loading and unloading times or stopover periods along the roads to recharge with high efficiency, which contributes to significantly reducing operational costs compared to diesel-powered trucks.
These batteries transfer their electrical energy to the special electric axles developed by Mercedes-Benz, achieving an efficiency rate of 1.61 kilowatt-hours per mile, with a total vehicle weight of up to approximately 36 metric tons. These figures compete with the operational efficiency declared by other competitors such as Tesla heavy-duty electric trucks, but under actual operating conditions and the influence of weather factors in the European winter.
What is Practically Changing in the Heavy Freight Sector?
This operational success reflects a gradual shift in the long-distance commercial transport sector, where traditional objections stating that electric trucks are unable to meet demanding daily requirements are facing a new operational reality. With Mercedes-Benz expanding its eActros truck lineup options to include more than 40 different configurations, including multiple cab designs and battery packs, it is clear that electric technology has become capable of covering various tasks ranging from regional transport to heavy off-road work.