Mercedes-Benz’s Mannheim plant has started manufacturing the front box, a key component for its upcoming eActros 600 electric truck. Series production of the complete vehicle is scheduled to begin at the company’s Wörth plant in late November, with first customer deliveries expected before year-end.
The front box is a technical module containing over 1,000 individual parts, including control units, high-voltage components, and an electric air compressor. It occupies the space traditionally reserved for combustion engines in conventional trucks.
“The front box is an assembly-intensive unit for battery-powered vehicles,” said Andreas Moch, Plant Manager at the Mercedes-Benz Mannheim plant. “After a successful prototype phase, we are now pleased to be able to move into series production.”
The company renovated a century-old building to create the 5,500-square-meter production line. The assembly process is divided into four sections, with quality checks conducted after each stage. Currently, 25 employees work on front box production, with potential expansion to 170 workers.
Bruno Buschbacher, Chairman of the Works Council, noted the significance of this development: “This is an important step in the transformation of our long-standing engine plant. The vertical range of manufacture of the future must continue to enable us to produce essential components ourselves.”
The eActros 600, recently named “International Truck of the Year 2025,” features a battery capacity exceeding 600 kilowatt hours and is designed to achieve a range of 500 kilometers under standard operating conditions with a 40-ton gross combination mass.
Additional components for the electric truck will be manufactured at Mercedes-Benz’s Gaggenau and Kassel facilities, which will produce transmission parts and handle final assembly of axle and transmission components respectively.
The Mannheim plant, established in 1908, employs over 4,600 people and serves as Daimler Truck’s competence center for battery technologies and high-voltage systems. The facility includes a pilot line for battery cell prototype production and a foundry for vehicle castings.
