Electric Truck Range: Fact or Fiction?

Does anyone else harbour a deep mistrust when it comes to car manufacturers’ fuel economy figures? You know that the only way you’ll ever come close to the official L/100km number is if you’re coasting downhill with a tailwind.

Lately, I’ve started feeling the same way about truck manufacturers and the range claims for their new electric vehicles. I recently read a press release about a battery-powered prime mover, and the quoted range didn’t even account for towing a trailer!

When Mercedes-Benz Trucks CEO, Karin Rådström, confidently proclaimed to the world’s press last year that the new eActros 600 could cover 500km on a single charge while hauling 40 tonnes, I took her claim with more than a pinch of salt.

My scepticism only deepened when I discovered that the eActros 600 has 621kWh of installed battery capacity, nearly identical to the Scania 45 R/S, which quotes an official range of just 350km. Sure, the new eActros is highly aerodynamic, but I can’t shake the feeling that someone’s telling porky pies!

So, when I was invited to France this summer to take the wheel of an eActros 600 for a stage of its 15,000km European Testing Tour 2024, I jumped at the opportunity. After all, this was my chance to prove Mercedes wrong, and that’s exactly what I aimed to do…

A Thoughtful Design Approach

Mercedes certainly can’t be accused of rushing the eActros 600 to market. The company has been teasing its zero-tailpipe-emission long-haul truck for at least two years, and despite already securing 1,000 confirmed orders, full-scale production won’t begin until the end of 2024.

When it comes to developing an electric truck, there are two main approaches. The easier route is to convert an existing diesel model. The more challenging, expensive, and time-consuming option is to design an electric truck from the ground up, and that’s exactly the path Mercedes has taken.

A key example of this is the truck’s 13-tonne electric axle (E-axle), which integrates twin motors and a four-speed transmission. The E-axle eliminates the need for a prop shaft, freeing up valuable chassis space.

This area, located between the two chassis rails, houses three Chinese-sourced lithium iron phosphate 207kWh LFP battery packs, all mounted perpendicular to the direction of travel.

The new aerodynamic ProCabin takes centre stage with its sleek design, extending 80mm beyond the current model and featuring smooth, curved surfaces that enhance airflow by nine per cent. This improvement results in a two to three per cent boost in fuel efficiency.

The ProCabin, available in StreamSpace, BigSpace, and GigaSpace variants, will soon be featured on diesel-powered Actros L models with 2.5m wide cabs and level floors.

My test truck, equipped with a StreamSpace cab, was a late prototype. It would be joined on this journey by another test vehicle, operated by two Mercedes-Benz Trucks engineers.

This second one featured an aerodynamic package, with 315/70R 22.5 tyres, plastic wheel infills, and the absence of a sun visor. Along with new side skirts on 4×2 prime movers, these features further improve fuel economy by a claimed two to three per cent.

Behind the wheel, the eActros 600 offers a familiar driving experience with its streamlined dashboard, digital instrument cluster, and large information screen, just like the conventional Actros. The main distinction lies in the right dial, which provides detailed information on battery charge and clearly indicates whether you’re in propulsion or regenerative mode.

Between the two dials, a kWh per 100km figure is displayed, serving as the electric truck’s equivalent to the traditional L/100km measurement. On average, a 40-tonne electric truck consumes around 120kWh per 100km (1.20kWh/km).

Mercedes allows access to 95 per cent of the truck’s 612kWh battery, translating to 600kWh, hence the truck’s name. Dividing 600 by 1.20 gives 500, which explains the claimed 500km range.

The truck features three distinct performance modes: Power, Economy, and Range. In Power mode, you access 100 per cent of the available power, though it limits the full 860hp to extend tyre life. Economy mode delivers 85 per cent of the power, striking a balance between performance and efficiency.

Range mode, designed to maximise distance when the battery is low, provides 70 per cent power. Additionally, a boost mode offers a quick surge of extra power when needed, akin to a kick-down. I reset the trip computer, selected Economy mode, and set off onto the motorway.