A professional truck driver and content creator is preparing to circle the globe in a battery-electric Mercedes-Benz truck converted into a motorhome, an expedition that Mercedes-Benz Trucks says would be the first known circumnavigation of the world in a fully electric truck. Tobias Wagner, who goes by Elektrotrucker online, plans to cover roughly 28,000 miles through more than 30 countries over about a year, relying entirely on battery power and making no more than 80 charging stops.
The vehicle pairs a Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 — a battery-electric truck built for long-distance commercial freight — with a Bliss Mobil living module mounted behind the cab. The eActros 600 carries three lithium iron phosphate battery packs with a combined installed capacity of 621 kWh. Mercedes normally rates the truck for about 310 miles under fully loaded long-haul test conditions. Wagner's expedition version has a different job: instead of pulling a heavy commercial trailer, it carries a custom camper and has been modified with single rear tires and expedition equipment to reduce weight and rolling resistance.
Those changes are central to the trip's most ambitious target. Wagner and Mercedes believe the lighter setup, combined with careful hypermiling, could allow the truck to travel as far as 621 miles on a single charge — roughly double the range Mercedes quotes for a fully loaded eActros 600. Mercedes says the lighter expedition vehicle should significantly exceed the truck's normal long-haul range. How close Wagner gets will depend on road conditions, temperature, speed and terrain. His plan to cover 28,000 miles with no more than 80 charging stops works out to an average of about 350 miles between stops, though actual distances will vary widely along the route.
Power comes from Mercedes' electric axle and a four-speed transmission. The eActros 600 produces about 536 horsepower continuously, with peak output reaching roughly 805 horsepower. The finished expedition vehicle reportedly has a maximum weight of about 34,170 pounds.
Charging infrastructure is expected to be the toughest logistical challenge. The route includes Central and East Asia, Australia, the United States and several Latin American countries, where high-powered truck charging can be difficult to find. The eActros 600 supports CCS2 fast charging at up to 400 kW, which Mercedes says can take the battery from 10% to 80% in about 70 minutes under specified conditions. Mercedes has also demonstrated Megawatt Charging System technology at up to 1,000 kW, which can cut charging times dramatically on compatible equipment. Wagner's truck has charging connections on both sides and adapters for infrastructure in China and North America. As a backup, he has equipped it with his own Alpitronic DC charging station, allowing him to charge from AC connections at up to 43 kW when conventional high-powered truck charging is unavailable.
The living quarters are designed to be largely self-contained. Bliss Mobil added an expedition module of roughly 13 feet behind the cab, with a U-shaped dining area, a kitchen, a bathroom toward the rear and a drop-down bed that stores above the dining area during the day. The camper can sleep as many as four people, though Wagner's primary travel companion is his dog, Krümelix. The module uses a separate 400-Ah lithium battery supported by 1,000 watts of solar power to run an induction cooktop, refrigerator, air conditioning and other onboard systems without diesel or propane. It reportedly carries about 106 gallons of fresh water, managed through a multistage filtration system for extended stretches away from campgrounds. Bliss Mobil designed the module so its electrical and plumbing systems sit within the camper rather than depending on the truck, allowing the unit to move between compatible chassis. Wagner's module does have a 24-volt connection to the eActros, meaning the living area can draw energy from the truck.