BERLIN (Reuters) – Mercedes-Benz (OTC:) Vehicles, the European division of business automobile maker Daimler Truck, premiered its battery-electric long-haul truck eActros 600 on Tuesday, with collection manufacturing deliberate for the tip of 2024.

It is going to be produced on Mercedes-Benz Vehicles’ current meeting line in Woerth am Rhein, Germany, in parallel to diesel autos.

The corporate is presently constructing a fleet of round 50 prototype autos to be examined with clients, it stated.

Daimler Truck is concentrating on 60% zero-emission gross sales by 2030, however lower than 0.3% of gross sales in January to June this yr match that class, as an absence of charging infrastructure and the excessive price ticket of electrical fashions stymie gross sales.

The eActros 600 buy value is 2.5 occasions its diesel equal.

Nonetheless, financial savings on electrical energy over gasoline and advantages from authorities assist imply its funding pays off after 5 years of driving, Daimler Vehicles stated, including it might present some monetary assist for smaller shoppers to help the change to electrical.

The lithium iron phosphate battery’s capability of over 600 kilowatt hours means drivers, for essentially the most half, is not going to must cost all day, as round 60% of long-distance journeys of Mercedes-Benz truck drivers in Europe are below 500 kilometres, the corporate stated in a press release.

Batteries charged at 20% of capability take half-hour to achieve 80% cost, it added.