Mercedes-Benz Trucks today set a new Guinness World Records title with its battery-electric long-haul eActros 600 truck including a semitrailer. Having reversed 124.7 kilometers means the manufacturer beat the previous world record in continuously reversing with a truck by around 36 kilometers. The former world record of some 89 kilometers had been set in the USA in 2020 in a diesel truck. The record-breaking trip in reverse was held on Motorsport Arena Oschersleben racetrack in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany; it took around 6 hours and 22 minutes, which translates into an average speed of 20 kilometers per hour. With its 14 tight bends designed for cars, the circuit is extremely demanding – but nevertheless offered fewer unpredictable risks of having to stop and thus interrupt the record attempt than public roads.
Independently of the world record, Mercedes-Benz Trucks intends to travel another 30 kilometers or so this evening on public roads with the eActros 600 in reverse. The finishing line is at the Daimler Truck Global Parts Center in Halberstadt, also in Saxony-Anhalt. The new location will officially open on July 10th. Starting this year, it will gradually take on worldwide deliveries of spare parts for Mercedes-Benz Trucks. Mercedes-Benz Trucks wants to use the journeys in reverse to draw attention to topics of relevance to the transportation sector and society at large: Electrification, road safety and truck driver image.
Marco Hellgrewe (50) from near Berlin, Germany, an officer in the German Armed Forces and a truck enthusiast kicked off the all-electric record attempt and also drove the eActros 600 himself to take the record. Hellgrewe set his first backwards record in 2008. Back then, he covered a distance of 64 kilometers in a diesel truck. Hellgrewe also intends to be at the wheel reversing the eActros 600 on the leg to Halberstadt. The driver will take a rest before starting out on this trip, which will have a police escort.
Marco Hellgrewe, initiator of the electric record attempt and driver of the eActros 600:
“I’m incredibly proud to have brought back the record to Germany together with Mercedes-Benz Trucks – especially as it was a world first with an all-electric drive. By doing so, we have sent out a powerful message for the future of alternative drives. I am convinced that we have also drawn broad attention to the topics of road safety and driver image that are particularly important to me as an examiner of learner truck drivers, who tend to be younger. There have been many people from every area of society, including numerous experienced and learner truck drivers, who have spoken to me about the activity and gave me very positive feedback.”
“The very long trip with a total of 476 bends demanded an enormous effort – for this reason alone, it was a great help that the eActros 600 and its assistance systems make driving so much easier. My thanks go out to Mercedes-Benz Trucks for the excellent support which made the new record possible in the first place. I am now looking forward to the next major challenge of the day: reversing the eActros 600 on public roads to the new Global Parts Center of Daimler Truck in Halberstadt,” Hellgrewe continues.
Rainer Müller-Finkeldei, Head of Product Engineering Mercedes-Benz Trucks:
“We warmly congratulate Marco Hellgrewe on his successful world-record trip and express our thanks for his great achievement as a driver. We are especially pleased that he set the new record with our all-electric powered Mercedes-Benz eActros 600. Marco Hellgrewe’s unusual trip in the service of transformation towards alternative drives will surely have a certain signaling effect for the industry and for society. In dialog with all stakeholders, specifically from the areas of politics and power supplies, we intend to continue to campaign for even more commitment to creating stronger incentives for our customers to make purchases and to promote the development of the charging infrastructure.”
Müller-Finkeldei continues: “Reversing is a central part of the day-to-day work of truck drivers and Marco Hellgrewe more than clearly showed the whole world that a great deal of concentration and ability are needed for this. Each and every day, truck drivers perform great tasks for society and this must be given corresponding recognition, too – specifically in the light of the increasing shortage of drivers. We would like to express our thanks to our partner PROFI – Pro Fahrer-Image e.V. for the support for our activity and their commitment to more appreciation for driving as a profession. Innovative technologies, such as our MirrorCam mirror camera system, played a role in winning the record. With these, we want to achieve a situation where drivers and other road users are safer when they are on the move. In addition, it is also necessary to raise awareness among road users. We thank our cooperation partner Blicki e.V. for their contribution to the activity and the untiring efforts to educate children on the hazards of road traffic. We are pleased to use the scope of the two trips in reverse to offer a platform for both organizations that, in our opinion, promote important topics for the future and to also provide the two with financial support.”
Congratulations from the partners PROFI – Pro Fahrer-Image e.V. and Blicki e.V.
Prof. Dr. Dirk Engelhardt, Chairman of the Board of Management of PROFI – Pro Fahrer-Image e.V., commented on the record-breaking drive in reverse as follows: “We express our sincere congratulations to Marco Hellgrewe and Mercedes-Benz Trucks on the new record. We were very happy to give our support to this project because it raises the awareness of the role played by professional drivers in our society. The record provides an excellent platform to increase appreciation for this profession. The activity also shows how innovative technologies can make a positive contribution to the future of transportation.”
Dirk Hendler, Managing Director of Blicki e.V.: “Many congratulations to Marco Hellgrewe and Mercedes-Benz Trucks on the new record! This project is a great opportunity to raise awareness of road safety among children and families. We are excited to be part of this and spread our message in this way. With our nationwide workshops, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Transport and the support of Blicki ambassadors such as Hildegard Müller, President of the VDA, we have already trained more than 80,000 primary school children on how to interact with large vehicles.”
SOURCE: Daimler Truck
