It is harder to conjure up a brand name than you might think, writes Peter Schmitz (Transport News foreign correspondent), because of unforeseen connotations.
Take my schoolfriend Helmut Lochte. A fine footballer and amateur sociologist who forged a career in finance. His name is from old Germany, with ‘helm’ meaning helmet and ‘muot’ meaning spirit or mind. It has a connection to the idea of protection, with the helmet representing both physical and mental strength.
Yet in England, where he played football for a German youth team in a tour match, he discovered ‘Helmut’ had other meanings…
Perhaps this was in mind of the person responsible for brand names at Mercedes-Benz. Twelve years ago, it introduced the inexplicably inane ‘Arocs’ – a name without any etymological origin. Maybe Helmut would approve.
Arocs was a successor to Axor (another name without any etymological origin) and it was, and remains, squarely aimed at the construction sector as a heavy-duty tractor unit or a two- and multi-axle rigid.
The new eArocs 400 is the first battery-electric variant of Arocs, and it debuted in Munich last week (7-13 April) at bauma, a trade fayre for the construction industry.
The plan is for a small series of 150 vehicles per year for selected EU30 markets, and in case you were wondering, Brexit excludes the Brits from this selective group. It is 30 countries including the 27 EU member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.
The eArocs 400 will be initially punted as a 32- and 41-tonne variant from the 8×4 chassis and with four wheelbases.
You can order one in January 2026 and expect delivery from September.
The eArocs 400 has lithium iron phosphate cell technology. It has an on-board electrical system voltage of 800 volts and two battery packs with an installed battery capacity of 414kWh located in the battery tower directly behind the driver’s cab.
The two battery packs need approximately 45 minutes to charge from 20 to 80 percent.
The key stats are as follows; range for the concrete mixer is up to 200 kilometres, for the tipper its 240 kilometres.
The eArocs 400 has a 3-speed transmission and a continuous power of 380kW and a peak performance of 450 kW.
Safety assistance systems include Active Brake Assist 6, Active Sideguard Assist 2 and Front Guard Assist.
Achim Puchert is the CEO of Mercedes-Benz Trucks. “With the new eArocs 400, we are now also bringing electrification to the construction industry, which is particularly important for our economy and society,” he oozed.
“Following the distribution and long-haul transport, we are continuing to expand our product range of battery-electric trucks. Now, it is crucial that policymakers promote the development of the charging infrastructure and create the necessary framework conditions for the economic operation of these vehicles.”
Helmut returned from his English football tour an enlightened adolescent although he always remained unsure what to make of the British sense of humour.
He did, however, manage a smile when a young striker called Stefan Kuntz was selected for the German national team to play in England at the 1996 Euros.
