Around the globe with the eActros 600 in 80 charging sessions

The route will cover more than 45,000 kilometres across over 35 countries and require up to 80 charging sessions. According to Mercedes-Benz Trucks, the journey is set to begin in autumn. The entire expedition is expected to take approximately one year.“According to current knowledge, this would be the first circumnavigation of the globe completed with a purely battery-electric truck,” Daimler Truck emphasised. The OEM will provide Tobias Wagner with a 4×2 flatbed vehicle featuring a 621 kWh battery for the adventure.The production eActros 600, equipped with this battery, offers a range of around 500 kilometres. If charged fully 80 times, it should theoretically cover approximately 40,000 kilometres. Completing the full 45,000-kilometre route may seem optimistic in this context. However, Mercedes-Benz Trucks states that the expedition vehicle is significantly lighter and should thus ‘significantly exceed’ the standard range. Even if not, ‘around the world in 80 charging sessions’ is simply a catchy motto. In the end, it might not need to be taken entirely literally.What is clear: the 4×2 truck embarking on the world tour rolled off the production line at the Mercedes-Benz Wörth plant on the Rhine in mid-April and subsequently underwent various modifications. These included ‘a spare wheel carrier with an integrated mobile charging unit, single tyres, and additional headlights at the front.’ Additionally, the company equipped the vehicle with a specially developed motorhome body by Bliss Mobil, ‘which will serve as the mobile base for the journey.’ Overall, the expedition vehicle is significantly lighter than a fully loaded articulated truck.The journey is scheduled to start in autumn 2026. The completed expedition vehicle and further project details are set to be presented in early summer.Christian Wilz, Chairman of the Management Board of Mercedes-Benz Trucks Germany, commented: “Battery-electric long-haul transport is already a lived reality in many parts of Europe today. Our customers demonstrate in daily operations that electric long-distance logistics works -provided the infrastructure is available. Now we are excited to see what experiences Tobias will gather with the eActros 600 on his extraordinary global expedition – a journey that will show both that battery-electric long-haul transport can already work worldwide and that in many regions the necessary conditions still need to be created to make it broadly viable.”Wagner is a well-known influencer in the industry in Germany and has been working as a full-time truck driver for Nanno Janssen Spedition GmbH, a German logistics provider based in Leer, Lower Saxony, for the past two years. Wagner states that he has been driving battery-electric trucks from various manufacturers for years and has already covered 200,000 kilometres entirely electrically in national and international long-haul transport.“After countless tours through 22 countries, I know one thing for sure: electric trucks in long-distance transport work without any problems. To convince even the last sceptics, I am following in the footsteps of Jules Verne – though I’m not travelling around the world in 80 days, but in 80 charging stations!”For such an adventure, Wagner says, the eActros 600, with its enormous battery capacity, efficiency, and customisation options, is the perfect companion. “That is why I wanted to use this vehicle specifically to show that electromobility in heavy transport has long since arrived in real-world operation.”The expedition is intended to address a practical question rather than set records: How far can a modern battery-electric long-haul truck actually go today, and what are the biggest challenges, obstacles, or even prejudices?daimlertruck.com