Tobias Wagner, also known as “Elektrotrucker”, started his round-the-world tour with a Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 expedition vehicle at IAA Transportation. The experienced truck driver and content creator aims to be the first person to circumnavigate the globe with a battery-electric long-haul truck within around one year. The planned route covers around 45,000 kilometers through around 30 countries in Europe, Asia, Australia, North America and South America and is intended to be completed with a maximum of 80 charging stops. The aim of the expedition is to document the performance of battery-electric long-haul technology under a wide range of geographical, climatic and infrastructural conditions while also promoting dialogue on the expansion of charging infrastructure for road freight transport.
Christian Wilz, Chairman of the Management Board of Mercedes-Benz Trucks Germany: “When a driver sets off on a round-the-world tour in a battery-electric series-production truck, it is more than an individual adventure. It is a strong signal of how far the technology has already come. We are pleased that Tobias Wagner is relying on our eActros 600 for this journey. His trip will inspire people far beyond the transport industry about the possibilities of electric long-haul transport, while at the same time drawing attention to the progress still needed in infrastructure.”
Tobias Wagner adds: “I have been driving battery-electric trucks in international long-haul transport for several years and know what is already possible today. With this round-the-world tour, I want to find out how far we really are. I will reach places where electric mobility already works and others where it still reaches its limits. These are exactly the kinds of experiences that make the journey valuable for advancing emission-free road freight transport.”
After the official start in Hanover, the route leads from Germany via the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria to Turkey. From mid-October, the journey is then planned to continue through Central and East Asia, including Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, China, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Further stages are planned in Australia, the USA and various countries in Latin America. The final route may still change as travel planning progresses.
Round-the-world tour as a practical test under real-world conditions
The expedition vehicle is based on a series-produced Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 from the Wörth am Rhein plant. For the requirements of the round-the-world tour, the series-production 4×2 platform truck was purposefully developed further into an expedition vehicle: with two spare-wheel carriers, single tires, auxiliary headlights integrated into the sun visor and a specially developed camper body from Bliss Mobil.
Internationally active logistics company DHL is providing support for vehicle transport on the necessary sea routes, particularly between continents.
Nikola Hagleitner, Member of the Board of Management Post & Parcel Germany of DHL Group: “At DHL, we are actively shaping the sustainable transformation of road freight transport and are already successfully using alternative drives in daily operations. With our global logistics expertise, we are supporting the round-the-world tour, from the intercontinental shipment of the vehicle to fast parcel shipping of spare parts along the route. This makes visible worldwide what is already possible in freight transport today.”
Tobias has also equipped the truck with his own DC charging station from Alpitronic so that, in addition to the existing CCS charging technology with a charging capacity of 400 kW, it can also be charged from AC sockets with up to 43 kW in special cases.
Focus on electric mobility, charging infrastructure and service network
The expedition is intended to document the technical maturity, efficiency and reliability of battery-electric long-haul transport solutions under demanding operating conditions. At the same time, it focuses on the framework conditions required for the broad use of electric commercial vehicles. These include, in particular, the further expansion of publicly accessible charging infrastructure for heavy-duty road freight transport. The international dealer and service network offers Tobias Wagner the opportunity to access comprehensive service and support along his route if required.
Authentic insights for customers, drivers and the public
Tobias Wagner’s round-the-world tour is intended to convey the opportunities offered by battery-electric drive technologies in road freight transport based on real-world experience. Through regular reports from the road, encounters with customers, drivers and industry representatives, and the documentation of different operating scenarios, it will create a practical picture of battery-electric long-haul transport on a global scale.
