Germany: Contargo takes delivery of 20 eActros 600s

Following the start of series production of the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 at the end of November, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is currently finalising the first customer deliveries. According to the manufacturer, around 50 units will be handed over to companies in Germany by the end of the year. Many of these will go to Contargo: on 20 December, the container logistics company received 20 series-produced units. The vehicles will be used “with immediate effect at various locations in the container hinterland logistics network for container transport between the port and customers,” according to the company.

Contargo was founded by the Rhenus Group in 2004 and has since pooled the activities of several companies in the field of container hinterland logistics, some of which have been active in combined transport and the operation of terminals since 1976. Today, the company’s concept, which has 1,280 employees, is based on three pillars: its own terminals as hubs, its own transport lines and the associated customer service for order processing. The main target groups are shipping companies, freight forwarders and logistics providers.

Contargo’s transport network primarily spans Germany but extends to the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Poland, and Switzerland. The company has been preparing for the gradual electrification of its transport vehicles for several years. With the new eActros 600, Contargo’s electric truck fleet now comprises 60 vehicles. The number is set to rise to 90 by summer 2025. However, Contargo explicitly emphasises the new model: “The delivery of the first eActros 600 marks a turning point in the logistics sector. With this premiere, Contargo proves that sustainable heavy goods logistics is already feasible today,” says the company headquarters.

Contargo had already added a near-series eActros 600 to its fleet for testing in April. “Among other things, the vehicle is used in a two-shift shuttle service between the port in Wörth am Rhein and various loading and unloading points,” report those responsible. The German government subsidises 86 electric trucks and the associated charging infrastructure. The 20 long-distance trucks with the three-pointed star that have now been delivered are also still subsidised.

In addition to Contargo, the first units of the eActros 600 have been and are currently being handed over to August Gschwander Transport, Blue Känguru, Brummer Logistik, Contrail-Transport, Denkinger Internationale Spedition, Ralf Reyser Transporte & Logistik, Schade Logistic and Wessels Holding. Further series-produced eActros vehicles manufactured in the first few months will primarily go to branches and dealers as demonstration vehicles. Mercedes-Benz Trucks currently has around 2,000 firm orders on its order books.

The eActros 600 is the third battery-electric truck series to go into series production at Daimler Truck in Wörth. Series production of the eActros 300/400 for distribution transport started there in 2021, followed by the eEconic for municipal use in 2022. However, it was only for the production of the new electrically powered long-distance truck that the manufacturer intervened in its line production on a larger scale, as electrive was able to see during a factory tour. That is because the eActros 600 is built flexibly on an assembly line with combustion engines, making it the first electric truck from Wörth to be assembled entirely in a production hall. The two smaller electric series with up to 27 tonnes will continue to be brought to another hall to install the electric components.

Briefly about the 600 itself: The vehicle celebrated its world premiere in October 2023 and owes its name to its battery capacity of over 600 kWh. The XXL EV also houses a new electric drive axle developed in-house with 400 kW continuous and up to 600 kW peak power, a so-called front box, which bundles control units, high-voltage components, and the electric air compressor in the former engine compartment. Moreover, the truck can go up to 500 km on one charge. The eActros 600 can be charged via CCS with up to 400 kW, and the electric truck will also be capable of megawatt charging as soon as the MCS standard is finalised.

contargo.net, linkedin.com (both in German)