Mercedes eActros 600 completes 8,000km Arctic EV challenge

The long-haul eHGV joined this year’s ten-day expedition at the end of December, travelling from northern Germany via Denmark and Sweden before reaching the North Cape — the most northerly point in Europe accessible by road. The route included a lengthy stretch along Sweden’s Inlandsvägen and exposed vehicles to prolonged sub-zero temperatures.

Organised each year since 2018, the eNordkapp Challenge is open exclusively to electric vehicles and is designed to examine how battery-powered transport performs in real-world winter conditions. During this year’s event, temperatures dropped to as low as -41°C.

Despite the extreme cold, the eActros 600 required no technical changes beyond the addition of winter tyres. The vehicle operated at a gross combination weight of 32.5 tonnes, hauling a car transporter semi-trailer loaded with a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter — mirroring a typical operational set-up.

The truck was entered by Austrian logistics firm VEGA International CarTransport & LogisticTrading GmbH and driven by Herbert and Silvia Salentinig, who regularly operate the vehicle in day-to-day distribution work.

Charging infrastructure presented some of the main operational hurdles. In remote areas, the crew encountered cables that were too short to reach the truck without uncoupling the trailer, along with frozen payment terminals and other cold-related complications. However, these issues did not prevent completion of the route.

Driver Herbert Salentinig described the eActros 600 as “a true workhorse”, highlighting its reliability in severe conditions.

Mercedes-Benz Trucks said the Arctic run demonstrated the durability of the eActros 600 platform and its capability to handle long-distance assignments in challenging climates, as fleet operators continue to evaluate battery-electric trucks for mainstream haulage use.