During six consecutive days in March, engineers from Mercedes-Benz Trucks, a Daimler subsidiarysubjected a near-series prototype of the company’s eActros 300 electric tractor unit to rugged practical testing, covering the approximately 3,000 kilometers between Rovaniemi, Finland and the German city of Stuttgart.

The purpose was to test the heavy-duty vehicle under varied and difficult climatic and topographical conditions for potential optimization of the unit’s systems and functions. Pre-journey tests in Finland at temperatures down to -25˚ C on icy and snowy roads focused on handling and starting properties and protection of drive components, software and interfaces from the cold. The main objective on the drive to Germany was assessing performance of the eActros loaded to 25 tons in real traffic.

“The journey,” said Dr. Christof Weber, Head of Global Testing at Mercedes-Benz Trucks, “showed that the eActros 300 as a tractor unit reliably masters all challenges before its market launch in autumn this year. This applies in terms of energy efficiency and charging, as well as driving comfort and safety.”

Source: Daimler Truck