Mercedes-Benz Trucks will celebrate the start of series production of the eActros 600 at the end of November this year at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth.
The first eActros 600 customer vehicles will be manufactured and registered before the end of 2024. In each vehicle, a central component from the Mercedes-Benz plant in Mannheim will be installed: the so-called front box.
The front box is a complex technology module with several control units, high-voltage components and an electric air compressor, and is located in the space previously occupied by the combustion engine. In contrast to the diesel engine, the front box does not have a specific drive function, but contains a large number of components that are essential for the truck to operate. In total, there are more than 1,000 individual parts. Accommodating this high number of components in a very confined space was a particular challenge during the development process. In the end, this was achieved by means of a so-called “layered structure”, in which the individual components are built up from bottom to top.
Andreas Moch, Plant Manager at the Mercedes-Benz Mannheim plant: “The front box is an assembly-intensive unit for battery-powered vehicles. After a successful prototype phase, we are now pleased to be able to move into series production. Both the frame preparation and the installation of all individual components and the testing of these units are performed by the Mercedes-Benz Mannheim plant.”
Moch continued: “Our Mercedes-Benz Mannheim plant is the competence center for battery technology and high-voltage systems at Daimler Truck. With the start of production of the front box, we are already reaching the second milestone this year, after we opened our Battery Technology Center in the summer. This shows that we are well positioned at the site in terms of transformation and are making an important contribution to shaping the emission-free mobility of the future.”
Over a period of about a year, extensive renovation work was carried out in a building that is more than 100 years old to create the front box production line. Among other things, the 5,500 m² floor coating, hall ventilation and lighting were renewed and the supporting structure was rebuilt. The modern production line with a logistics zone was then installed. It offers a high degree of flexibility for different quantities, product variants and subsequent generations.
The front box assembly line consists of four consecutive production sections. Each of these sections contains various assembly stations, with the corresponding material zones and pre-assembly stations located to the side. Here, the individual levels of the front box are completed one after the other. After each completed level, the front box passes through a so-called quality gate, where the correct execution of the assembly process is verified before the next level is built. Once all quality gates have been successfully passed and the assembly quality has been confirmed in the so-called “End of Line Inspection” (EOL inspection), the front box is prepared for shipment to the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth.
For the mechanics employed in the production of the front box, the motto is: “Assembly remains assembly” – albeit somewhat different than in conventional diesel drive systems. The production team currently consists of 25 employees, but this number could increase to 170 in the future. In order to optimally prepare the employees at the Mannheim site for the challenges of the transformation, they have been trained in a new high-voltage training center since October of this year. It offers a practical learning environment in which participants can gain comprehensive knowledge of the latest high-voltage and battery technologies. Innovative teaching methods are used for this purpose, such as virtual reality glasses and augmented reality technology.
The plants in Gaggenau and Kassel, which are part of the production and technology network for electric drive components and battery systems at Daimler Truck, will also supply key components for the eActros 600. The Mercedes-Benz plant in Gaggenau, the competence center for electric drive components, will manufacture transmission components such as shafts and gears as well as housing parts. These will be delivered to the Mercedes-Benz plant in Kassel, the competence center for conventional axles and electric drive systems. The axle and transmission components will be fully assembled here.
About the eActros 600
The eActros 600 for long-distance haulage celebrated its world premiere end of 2023. The high battery capacity of over 600 kilowatt hours – hence the model designation 600 – and a new, particularly efficient electric drive axle developed in-house enable the electric truck to achieve a range of 500 kilometers without intermediate charging. This range is accomplished under very realistic and practical conditions with a gross combination mass of 40 tons, and can also be significantly exceeded depending on the driving style and route. The eActros 600 will even be able to cover well over 1,000 kilometers per day. Intermediate charging during statutory driver breaks – even without megawatt charging – makes this possible, provided that charging options are available. In addition to CCS charging with up to 400 kW, the eActros 600 will later also enable megawatt charging (MCS).
