Amazon puts 50 Mercedes-Benz eActros electric semi trucks to work in Germany

Amazon is putting 50 electric semi trucks from Mercedes-Benz to work in Germany by the end of 2026, part of an order of more than 200 of the eActros 600 model. The first 26 are already on the road, hauling goods between fulfillment centers and cities. This is company fleet news rather than something that changes what's available to homeowners, but it's a sign of how fast battery technology is moving into heavy trucking, not just cars and delivery vans.

The trucks use a 621 kWh battery (many times larger than a home battery) and get about 500 km of range per charge. Amazon is also installing hundreds of DC fast chargers to support them, capable of charging a truck from 20% to 80% in a bit over an hour. That kind of fast-charging buildout is a reminder of how much charging infrastructure heavy electric vehicles need compared to passenger cars.

Amazon says it's investing more than 1 billion euros in electrifying its European transportation network, including over 400 million euros in Germany specifically. An outside economic analysis tied to that German investment estimated it has supported more than 35,000 jobs and added up to 3 billion euros to the country's economy. None of this involves home energy programs or rebates, but it does show utilities and companies across Europe continuing to invest heavily in electrification, which can affect how fast charging technology and costs evolve more broadly.