Lidl Austria has placed one of the largest early orders for the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 and is opening a new heavy-duty charging park to support their deployment.

The supermarket chain has signed a framework agreement for 42 Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 battery-electric trucks, expanding on the 14 units already delivered, with around 20 vehicles expected to be operating by the end of this year for nationwide store deliveries from its logistics centres.

As part of the rollout, Lidl has opened a new 2.4 MW truck charging park at its Laakirchen logistics hub. The site is equipped with six 400 kW chargers and currently operates with CCS connectors, with MCS capability to be added once available. The retailer describes the new facility as the most powerful dedicated heavy-duty charging site in Austria’s grocery retail sector.

The eActros 600 trucks will be charged primarily at depots, with additional on-route charging available at Lidl stores and warehouses equipped with heavy-vehicle charging points. The vehicles supplied to Lidl feature an electric power take-off (ePTO) allowing emission-free operation of refrigerated trailers.

Lidl says the trucks run on 100% green electricity, powered by a combination of 2 MWp of on-site photovoltaic generation and long-term green electricity contracts. Battery-electric trucks have been in daily use at the company since 2024.

The eActros 600, which entered series production at the end of 2024, features three LFP battery packs totalling 621 kWh, enabling a range of up to 500 km without intermediate charging under typical long-haul conditions. Lidl Austria says the vehicles are already prepared for MCS (Megawatt Charging System), enabling significantly faster charging once compatible infrastructure is installed.

Speaking at the opening of the Laakirchen charging site, Lidl Austria CEO Michael Kunz said the new vehicles and charging infrastructure “create the basis for long distance” operations and will enable quiet, emissions-free deliveries “from Lake Constance to Lake Neusiedl”.

Daimler Truck Austria CEO Jens Tittel added that the deployment demonstrates that “electrification in national long-haul and distribution transport is becoming a reality”.

 

With a keen focus on European and international freight, Zsofia Polos is a journalist specialising in road transport. She has a particular interest in the industry's transition to zero-emission operations, covering new technologies, policy changes, and the challenges hauliers face on the path to decarbonisation.View full Profile

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