Mercedes-Benz eActros 600: International Truck of the Year 2025
The new Mercedes-Benz aActros 600 is perhaps the most-advanced electric truck for heavy-duty, long-haul transportation today, thanks to its sophisticated electric drive system, sophisticated modern cabin, and impressive energy efficiency.
Recently, The International Truck of the Year (IToY) Jury announced the new Mercerdes-Benz eActros 600 as the title winner for the year 2025. The jury consisting of commercial vehicles and transport journalists from 25 European countries voted in favour of the ‘Three-pointed star’ electric truck for the most coveted award in the trucking world.
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Since 1977, the IToY title represents the most innovative product development marking a significant contribution to the growth of the trucking industry. The jury members consider a plethora of criteria of critical importance, including tech innovation, comfort, safety, energy efficiency, drivability, and TCO.
Electric truck from scratch
So, what was it about the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 that impressed the IToY jury and led to its selection for the title this year? Well, to start with, the grounds-up approach of the Daimler Truck in the development of the flagship truck. As the Chairman of the International Truck of the Year Gianenrico Griffini noted:
“Mercedes-Benz Trucks designed the eActros 600 as an electric truck right from the start. This decision has put a state-of-the-art BEV on the road capable of fulfilling a wide range of long-haul missions”
Consequently, the eActros 600 scored high on the fundamentally new aerodynamic design of the new ‘ProCabin’ driver’s cab. The cab’s smooth and curved lines, along with the protruding front end, has improved the truck airflow by 9 percent than previous designs. This decreases the drag in favour of efficiency.
Further, the jury members were impressed by the futuristic truck’s new electric axle developed by Mercedes-Benz. Designed for 800 V architecture featuring two electric motors and a 4-speed transmission, the drive system is tailor-made for long-haul. The electric motor churns out a peak output of 600 kW.
More importantly, an ingenious Predictive Powertrain Control (PPC) cruise control and transmission control system governs the drivability of the truck. They take into account the topography, route maps and traffic signs to enable the most-efficient driving style possible for the driver.
Practical proposition
Moreover, the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 is highly appreciated for its 600 kWh+ battery packs. The truck is equipped with three LFP battery packs of 206 kWh capacity each. This massive battery backup accomplishes reliable and practical performance, especially the 500 km driving range without need for intermediate charging!
The proposition that e-truck can practically cover well over 1,000 kms per day with a GCW of up to 44 tons has highly impressed the jury. The eActros comes with CCS charging of up to 400 kW, with megawatt charging (MCS) technology on the cards. The MCS can up the battery SoC from 20 to 80 percent in just 30 minutes!
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This apart, the eActros 600 is a technology demonstrator for a host of high-tech safety systems. This includes an external Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) and sensor fusion to merge radar and camera data for enhanced vision for driver as well. Driver assistance systems include Frontguard Assist, Active Sideguard Assist 2 (ASGA 2), Active Drive Assist 3 (ADA 3), and Active Brake Assist 6 (ABA 6).
Mercedes-Benz began the series production of this flagship electric truck last month. The company has also delivered an initial batch of the eActros 600 to its customers in Germany. With immense response from fleet operators across the globe, the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 definitely represents a watershed moment in the transformation of the trucking industry.
