The Megawatt Charging System (MCS), a new charging standard for heavy-duty EVs that industry experts call a game-changer for electric trucks, is in the final stages of standardization, and is expected to enter the implementation phase this year. Automakers and EVSE manufacturers are busily putting the new system through its paces.

In the latest testing milestone, developers at Mercedes-Benz Trucks successfully charged a prototype of the eActros 600 at a charging station with an output of one megawatt (1,000 kilowatts) at the company’s development and testing center in Wörth am Rhein, Germany.

The engineers plan further trials of the communications interface between vehicle and charging station, defined as part of MCS standardization, as well as ongoing development of prototype components. The eActros 600 is planned to go into series production by the end of 2024. In addition to CCS charging at up to 400 kW, the eActros 600 will enable MCS charging at a full 1,000 kilowatts, once it becomes available, and the charging technology can be retrofitted.

The eActros 600 sports a battery capacity of more than 600 kWh, and a new efficient electric drive axle developed in-house. It boasts a range of 500 km, which will enable it to travel some 1,000 km per day with an intermediate charging stop during the legally prescribed driver breaks, even without megawatt charging.

Around 60 percent of long-distance journeys of Mercedes-Benz Trucks customers in Europe are shorter than 500 km.

Rainer Müller-Finkeldei, Head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks Product Engineering: “Our developers have put the newly defined MCS standard into the e-truck in the shortest of times with full charging capacity—an outstanding feat of engineering. Customers placing high demands on range and vehicle availability will benefit in particular from charging at 1,000 kilowatts.”

Peter Ziegler, Head of E-Charging Components, Mercedes-Benz Trucks: “The first successful megawatt charging test with our e-truck is an enormous step forward. We are now working at full speed to take the MCS technology in our eActros 600 to series maturity.”

Source: Daimler Truck