Contargo receives 20 of the first Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 worldwide
Wörth am Rhein, 20 December 2024 –Today Contargo, as one of the first enterprises worldwide, took delivery of 20 of the first serially produced battery-driven electric Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 from Mercedes-Benz Trucks. The vehicles will go into operation straight away at various locations of the container hinterland logistics network for container transport between port and customer. This is another milestone on the way to more low-emission supply chains.
The eActros 600 has a battery capacity of 600 kilowatt hours and an efficient electric drive axle. This gives the trucks a range of approximately 500 kilometres – without the need for “topping up”. Michael Starke, Managing Director of Contargo Truck Fleet, emphasises: “With this range we can use the eActros 600 as flexibly as diesel trucks – including long-distance runs.”
Its own fast charging network for more efficiency
While the public charging infrastructure for e-trucks still requires additional development, Contargo is consistently investing in its own solutions, installing Germany’s largest private fast-charging network at 14 of its locations. With 250 kW charging poles, the vehicles can be completely recharged in only two hours. This enables them to operate on a two-shift basis.
“For us, the delivery of 20 eActros 600 trucks to a pioneer and groundbreaker of sustainable goods transport is a successful start to serial production”, says Dr. Andreas Scharff, responsible at Daimler Truck for the sales of Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) and solutions for the ecosystem in which these vehicles operate. “It is all the more appropriate because Contargo was already convinced by the performance of the eActros 600 during customer testing.”
Tried and tested
Contargo has been testing the eActros 600 in real operation since April. The vehicle has been used, among other things, for a two-shift shuttle service between the inland port of Wörth am Rhein and various loading and unloading points. Andreas Roer, Managing Director of Contargo Wörth-Karlsruhe, says: “On one battery charge, we have an average range of 500 kilometres, and on a one-shift system we are getting a daily mileage of up to 260 kilometres.”
Sustainable logistics with a growing fleet
With the new eActros 600, Contargo’s fleet of e-trucks now numbers 60 vehicles. By the summer of 2025 the count will have risen to 90. Kristin Kahl, Head of Sustainability at Contargo, says: “With our expanding fleet of e-trucks, plus rail driven by green electricity and our new, innovative barges with electric motors and a hybrid drive concept, we offer our customers a low-emission supply chain. This enables them to save more than 88 percent of the CO2e-emissions generated by their container transport.”
A milestone for the sector
The delivery of the first eActros 600 trucks marks a turning-point in the logistics sector. With this premiere, Contargo demonstrates that sustainable heavy-duty transport is possible today – and points the way for the future of container transport.
The 20 eActros 600 trucks were subsidised by the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV), under the funding guideline for the purchase of commercial vehicles with alternative climate-friendly drivetrains and the deployment of refuelling and charging infrastructure (KsNI). Support is being given altogether for 86 e-trucks and the corresponding charging infrastructure. The funding guideline is coordinated by the NOW GmbH, and the applications were approved by the Federal Logistics and Mobility Office (BALM).