Mercedes-Benz Trucks has once again sent its two near-production prototypes of the eActros 600 on a testing tour through Northern Europe – but this time during the cold season in sometimes very wintry conditions. The objective of the “European Testing Tour Winter 2025” was to test the practicality of the battery-electric eActros 600 – which has since been awarded the International Truck of the Year 2025 and is in series production – in representative winter operation in Northern Europe on different routes and topographies as well as in different climate zones, gaining important insights into the effect of winter temperatures and road conditions on the energy consumption of the eActros 600.
Of the around 6,500 kilometers covered through Northern Europe, over half of the tour took place on identical routes to the northern part of the almost seven-week European Testing Tour that took place in summer 2024. Once again, the two trucks were on the road with a gross combination mass of 40 tons.
Christof Weber, Head of Global Testing Mercedes-Benz Trucks: “Not only are we interested in how the energy consumption of the eActros 600 behaves in different winter operations, but above all our customers and drivers. We are very satisfied with the findings of the tour. They show us that the eActros 600 can also be very efficient and comfortable on the road in European winter.”
The 16-day tour set off northwards in mid-January from Wörth am Rhein. The route first went through Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland to the Arctic Circle. It then went back to Stuttgart and Wörth via Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Austria. On their journey through ten countries in Northern Europe, the electric trucks were sometimes on the road at extreme temperatures between -18 and 9 degrees Celsius. The daily average speeds ranged from 64 to 77 kilometers per hour.
Of the around 6,500 kilometers covered through Northern Europe, over half of the tour took place on identical routes to the northern part of the almost seven-week European Testing Tour that took place in summer 2024. Once again, the two trucks were on the road with a gross combination mass of 40 tons.
Christof Weber, Head of Global Testing Mercedes-Benz Trucks: “Not only are we interested in how the energy consumption of the eActros 600 behaves in different winter operations, but above all our customers and drivers. We are very satisfied with the findings of the tour. They show us that the eActros 600 can also be very efficient and comfortable on the road in European winter.”
The 16-day tour set off northwards in mid-January from Wörth am Rhein. The route first went through Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland to the Arctic Circle. It then went back to Stuttgart and Wörth via Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Austria. On their journey through ten countries in Northern Europe, the electric trucks were sometimes on the road at extreme temperatures between -18 and 9 degrees Celsius. The daily average speeds ranged from 64 to 77 kilometers per hour.
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MotorTranscript
00:00You never dare to do that in winter, and we have accepted the challenge.
00:10Why are we here in the winter test? Because we can do it.
00:14And we want to show this to our customers, our drivers.
00:18Starting from Germany, via Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Baltic countries,
00:26we can drive right where it's needed in winter, where it's really cold.
00:42We drive on snow and ice at 80 kmph.
00:47We are really excited. Our thermodynamic systems work perfectly.
00:56We don't see a big difference between charging in winter and charging in summer.
01:02During charging, as a driver, I don't always have to stay in the car.
01:06With our charging app, I always have my car under control.
01:12Five days in the car with my colleagues, which is incredibly fun.
01:17I think the most curious moment on the tour was the unscratching of the charging station with an ice scraper.
01:24Because overnight in the truck, that's just a few percent of what the SOC does,
01:29even if you set it up comfortably and warmly.
01:31And we don't have to save on comfort.
01:34I am totally convinced of this vehicle.
01:37We can charge electrically, even here in Scandinavia, at minus degrees.
01:41It works.
01:47Mercedes-Benz. Trucks you can trust.