Stuttgart/Munich – Daimler Truck is sending the battery-electric eActros 600 on a special tour through southern Germany: Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ flagship for long-haul transport first delivered beer to Oktoberfest in Munich and then to the Cannstatter Wasen in Stuttgart. At the same time, Daimler Truck is using the tour to celebrate a special anniversary: 130 years of trucks.

Historical roots, modern festival logistics

The first truck marked the beginning of a new era in freight transportation in 1896. Breweries were among the earliest customers of Gottlieb Daimler’s new means of transport. In its anniversary year campaign, “130 Years of Forward,” Mercedes-Benz Trucks is revisiting this connection between commercial vehicle history, festival culture, and the flow of goods with the eActros 600 tour.

The route took the battery-electric truck to locations where tradition and modern logistics come together. In Munich, freight carrier Lettl used the eActros 600 to deliver beer to one of the festival tents at Oktoberfest. The vehicle then continued to Stuttgart, where freight carrier Torwesten deployed the eActros 600 to supply beer to the Cannstatter Wasen.

Festivals depend on logistics

Before visitors can celebrate at large festivals, a wide range of precisely coordinated processes must take place behind the scenes. Setup and dismantling, food service, technical infrastructure, supply logistics, and waste management all have to work seamlessly together, placing high demands on transportation and timing. Events of this scale would not be possible without trucks.

The eActros 600 tour highlights something that often goes unnoticed in everyday life: for generations, trucks have moved far more than goods and cargo. They create the foundation that makes events possible and enables shared experiences. At the same time, the tour demonstrates the transformation taking place in road freight transport. Battery-electric trucks are already performing transport tasks like these today CO₂e-free in driving operation, carrying the truck’s 130-year success story into a new era.

eActros 600 in traditional Bavarian attire

Tradition meets the future: for its appearances at the festivals, the eActros 600 sported a distinctive look. The vehicle “wore” both a traditional dirndl and lederhosen, making it a real eye-catcher on its mission.

The cab creatively combines two of the best-known symbols of traditional Bavarian attire. One side of the vehicle is designed as elaborately embroidered lederhosen complete with suspenders, while the other side features a classic dirndl with an apron, bow, and lace details. Floral embroidery and traditional patterns complete the distinctive design.

About the eActros 600

Mercedes-Benz Trucks celebrated the start of series production of the eActros 600 at the Mercedes-Benz Wörth plant at the end of 2024. Since then, the vehicle has entered daily operation in numerous countries both within and outside Europe.

The International Truck of the Year (IToY) organization, comprising 24 commercial vehicle journalists from across Europe, named the battery-electric truck “International Truck of the Year 2025.” The award is the industry’s most prestigious distinction and is presented annually. One of the key factors behind the recognition was the vehicle’s overall technological concept, including its electric drive axle and LFP cell technology.

The high battery capacity of over 600 kilowatt hours – hence the model designation 600 – and a new, particularly efficient electric drive axle developed in-house enable the eActros 600 to achieve a range of 500 kilometers⁽¹⁾ without intermediate charging. In the most economical combination, the eActros 600 can achieve a range of up to 560⁽²⁾ kilometers with three battery packs in classic long-haul transport and a gross combination weight of 40 tons. This range is accomplished under very realistic and practical conditions with a gross combination weight of 40 tons, which can also be significantly exceeded depending on the driving style and the route.

The eActros 600 has three battery packs, each with 207 kWh⁽³⁾. These offer an installed total capacity of 621 kWh. The batteries are based on lithium iron phosphate cell technology (LFP) and are characterized by a long service life. The development engineers at Mercedes-Benz Trucks designed the eActros 600 to meet the same requirements for the durability of vehicles and components as a comparable conventional heavy-duty long-haul Actros. This means up to 1.2 million kilometers in ten years of operation. After this period of use, the battery state of health should still be above 80 percent. In contrast to other battery cell technologies, more than 95 percent of the installed capacity can also be used with LFP technology. This facilitates a higher range with the same installed battery capacity. The vehicle is technically designed for a gross combination mass of up to 44 tons. With a standard semitrailer, the eActros 600 has a payload of around 22 tons in the EU. There might be cases in which national law allows higher payloads.

In addition to CCS charging, the eActros 600 will also support charging according to the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) standard in the future. This functionality will become available during the second half of 2027 and will enable charging times of less than 30 minutes⁽⁴⁾ at charging capacities of up to 1,000 kW. For this purpose, an additional MCS charging socket on the left-hand side of the vehicle can be ordered as an option.

_{(1) The range was determined internally under specific test conditions, after preconditioning with a 4x2 tractor unit with a 40 tons total towing weight at 20°C outside temperature in long-haul operation and may deviate from the values determined in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/2400.
(2) The estimated range is derived from the results of internal simulations as well as real driving tests. The actual range may deviate from the estimated range as a result of numerous factors, such as topography, weather conditions, speed, preconditioning, auxiliary consumers, individual vehicle configuration and driving style.
(3) Nominal capacity of a new battery, based on internally defined boundary conditions. This may vary depending on the application and ambient conditions. 
(4) The charging time is based on the conditions defined for heavy duty trucks in ISO/SAE 12906 – with a charging station in accordance with the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) standard.}