Leinfelden-Echterdingen/Grafenhausen-Rothaus – The Rothaus State Brewery has delivered a festively decorated Black Forest fir tree to the Baden-Württemberg State Representation in Brussels using a battery-electric Mercedes-Benz eActros 600. With the 680-kilometer journey to Belgium, the brewery wants to highlight the performance of electric trucks in long-distance use. Rothaus fulfilled the request of the state representation, a long-standing Rothaus customer, for a Black Forest Christmas tree and delivered it together with its Tannenzäpfle beer to the Belgian capital.

For a year and a half, Rothaus has been operating a fleet of five fully electric first-generation Mercedes-Benz eActros 400 trucks. The trucks are used for regional distribution and reliably deliver Rothaus beers to customers. The results are positive: The eActros 400 trucks have proven themselves in demanding everyday use – in terms of range and charging infrastructure as well as reliability and driving comfort.

Rothaus recently expanded its successful collaboration with Mercedes-Benz Trucks in the field of electric mobility: the brewery has been testing a second-generation Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 for over a year. The test vehicle is a 6x2 flatbed chassis with a proven L-cab, three battery packs, a
4600 mm wheelbase, and a liftable, non-steered trailing axle with a payload of 22 tons. The body, in the form of a beverage box, is owned by Rothaus.

Testing trucks in customer use is an essential part of Mercedes-Benz Trucks' development work. It provides practical insights into real-world operation, supports the continuous improvement of vehicle technology, and contributes to increased reliability and efficiency. In addition, these tests form the basis for the targeted further development of new models.

New eActros portfolio for individual customer requirements

At the end of September, the truck manufacturer announced the expansion of its battery-electric portfolio around the second-generation eActros. With numerous new combination options based on the eActros 600, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is specifically expanding its range of battery-electric trucks in order to be able to meet even more logistics requirements in heavy-duty long-distance and distribution transport electrically. Mercedes-Benz Trucks offers the eActros as the eActros 400 with two battery packs and as the eActros 600 with three battery packs, optionally with ProCabin or the proven cab, as well as with a variety of new axle configurations and wheelbase variants – each available as a tractor unit or flatbed chassis to suit individual requirements in terms of application, range, and payload. The first new models have been available to order in the EU30 markets and selected non-EU markets since October and are rolling off the production line at the plant in Wörth am Rhein.

The new vehicle variants of the second model generation eActros continue to feature the key technological characteristics of the eActros 600, which is particularly notable for its innovative overall technological concept combining modern drive technology and high energy efficiency. With the expansion of the second model generation of the eActros, Mercedes-Benz Trucks will discontinue the first-generation eActros 300/400 models at the end of the year.

About the eActros 600

Mercedes-Benz Trucks celebrated the series launch of the eActros 600 at the end of November last year at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth. Deliveries to customers began in December 2024. The electric flagship from Mercedes-Benz Trucks has already proven its capabilities several times under real-life conditions: In customer use and as part of the “eActros 600 European Testing Tour 2024”, a 15,000-kilometer all-electric development trip through a total of 22 countries and the “European Testing Tour Winter 2025” on around 6,500 kilometers through Northern Europe, each with a gross combination mass of 40 tons. In addition, the e-truck was voted “International Truck of the Year 2025”. The award is the most important prize in the industry and is presented annually by the International Truck of the Year (IToY) organization, consisting of 24 commercial vehicle journalists from Europe.

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. This range is accomplished under very realistic and practical conditions with a gross combination mass of 40 tons, which can also be significantly exceeded depending on the driving style and the route. The eActros 600 will even be able to cover well over 1,000 kilometers per day. Intermediate charging during statutory driver breaks makes this possible, provided that charging options are available.

The eActros 600 has three battery packs, each with 207 kWh^[2]. 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.

Sustainability at Mercedes-Benz Trucks

Sustainability is an integral part of the Mercedes-Benz Trucks strategy. As part of Daimler Truck AG, Mercedes-Benz Trucks pursues a clear goal: to gradually decarbonize road freight transport and drive the transformation of the transport industry forward. Through battery-electric and hydrogen-based drive solutions, digital services, and climate-friendly, resource-efficient production and supply processes, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is shaping the path toward locally CO₂e-free transport across the entire value chain. With its safety and assistance systems as well as automated driving functions, Mercedes-Benz Trucks also makes a significant contribution to road safety. In doing so, Mercedes-Benz Trucks plays a key role in advancing Daimler Truck AG’s overall sustainability strategy.

About Badische Staatsbrauerei Rothaus AG

Badische Staatsbrauerei Rothaus AG was founded in 1791 in the Black Forest by the Benedictine monastery of St. Blasien. It remains firmly rooted in the region to this day and is a strong partner for suppliers from the region. As an independent stock corporation owned by the state of Baden-Württemberg, it stands for the art of brewing from the Black Forest, combining tradition and modernity.

_{[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] Nominal capacity of a new battery, based on internally defined boundary conditions. This may vary depending on the application and ambient conditions.}