Mercedes-Benz begins series production of the eActros 400 electric truck

Series production of the second-generation eActros 400 has begun at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth am Rhein, where the eActros 600 has also been rolling off the assembly line since last year. This new model shares its platform with the brand’s flagship, but uses two battery packs instead of three, which reduces its range but in return helps to increase its payload capacity.

With this launch, Mercedes-Benz’s electric heavy-duty vehicle range expands significantly. Customers now have a wide choice of rigid chassis, tractor units, wheelbases and cab types, for both long-haul transport and the distribution sector.

The new eActros 400 employs advanced technology, with LFP battery packs offering a total capacity of 414 kWh, an electric axle with two motors delivering 600 kW of peak power and 400 kW of continuous power, an 800-volt architecture and the modern Multimedia Cockpit Interactive 2.

Mercedes-Benz customers asked for this, and now they have it

Thanks to a weight reduction of one and a half tonnes compared with the eActros 600, the eActros 400 offers a payload of more than 25 tonnes with a standard semi-trailer and a fifth-wheel load of up to 9.5 tonnes, figures that put it on a par with equivalent diesel trucks, something much in demand from transport companies.

As regards range, the manufacturer has avoided giving a single specific figure due to the wide variety of available configurations that affect this value. As a reference, however, the eActros 400 6×2 with a body for heavy distribution can cover up to 480 km under favourable conditions and with partial load, which is the most common scenario. In long-haul transport at full load, range drops to around 330 km.

When recharging at a CCS charging point, the eActros 400 supports a maximum output of 400 kW, with the option of using a twin charging port, thus making it possible to increase the state of charge from 10 to 80 per cent in about 46 minutes. For the time being, Mercedes-Benz has no plans to offer megawatt charging under the MCS standard.

Finally, it should be noted that, in order to adapt at all times to the level of existing demand, production at Mercedes-Benz’s German plant in Wörth am Rhein is fully flexible. The eActros 400 and 600 units are assembled on the same line as the diesel Actros, without the need to transfer the vehicle to another workshop to install the electric components, as was the case with the first generation of the eActros 400.