This Mercedes-Benz eActros electric truck is in for the Long Haul

Heavy-duty tractor-head trucks are one of the prime movers of our country's economy. Most of the time, these commercial trucks travel long distances to transport tons of essential goods from one place to another. As such, range and payload are important factors to consider when it comes to choosing a truck to move your business.

Daimler Trucks, the commercial truck division of Mercedes-Benz, has added another model to their portfolio of battery-electric trucks, and it's called the eActros LongHaul.

As the name implies, the eActros LongHaul is Mercedes-Benz's longest-range electric truck yet. The LongHaul is equipped with two electric motors that produce a peak output of 800 PS. Its three battery packs have a total capacity of over 600 kWh, enabling the eActros LongHaul to travel up to around 500 km on a single charge.

The batteries used in the eActros LongHaul are made of lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) technology which provides a long service life and more usable energy. When charged to a one-megawatt charging station, Mercedes-Benz says the eActros LongHaul's batteries can go from 20% to 80% charge in 30 minutes.

In addition, development engineers at Mercedes-Benz trucks are designing the eActros LongHaul to meet the same durability requirements as that of the conventional combustion-powered Actros truck. The manufacturer expects the heavy-duty electric truck to last for over 10 years and log 1.2-million km on the odometer.

The first prototypes of the eActros LongHaul are already undergoing testing, with near-production prototypes set to be tested by simulating real-world cases next year. Like the combustion-powered Actros, the eActros LongHaul will be built at the existing Mercedes-Benz truck assembly plant in Wörth, Germany.

Mercedes-Benz Trucks says volume production for the eActros LongHaul is planned for 2024.