Mercedes-Benz Truck Drives In Reverse For Over 6 Hours & 77 Miles

For many drivers in this world, moving in reverse, even briefly, can be a nuisance. That’s because for most of us turning the wheel left to go right and the other way around doesn’t make much sense, and when one has to take into account things like the dimensions of the car and invisible obstacles in the way, things can become really complicated.
 

Truck drivers have it the worst, in some sense, as for them reversing in and out of loading bays and parking lots is part of the daily job. Yet, they do it without complaining, and there are some of them out there so skilled at it that they can drive backwards for hours on end.
 
You may not know this, but back in 2020 an American diesel truck driver managed to drive his rig in reverse for 55.3 miles (89 km), setting the Guinness World Record for the longest distance driven in reverse in an articulated truck (individual).
 
That’s outright impressive, but it’s also a record that no longer stands, as a German national, a former member of the country’s Armed Forces, beat that record by an unbelievable 22.3 miles (36 km).
 
The man’s name is Marco Hellgrewe, the same guy who back in 2008 started this whole record for the longest distance driven in reverse in an articulated truck madness. Back then, he drove a diesel truck 39.7 miles (64 km) in reverse.
 
For his most recent exploit, he used a Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 electric truck. Hellgrewe set a new record for driving in reverse with no interruption of 77.4 miles (124.7 km) on a closed-off route (the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben racetrack) in Oschersleben, Saxony Anhalt, Germany.
 
It took him no less than 6 hours and 22 minutes to complete the challenge, moving his truck, complete with a semitrailer, at average speeds of 12.4 mph (20 kph). Not an easy task, considering that the racetrack has no less than 14 tight bends that are not designed for trucks, but for cars, and the German had to navigate them no less than 476 times.
 

As if that wasn’t enough, following the racetrack exploits the truck and its driver headed out onto public roads, to cover in reverse an extra 18.6 miles (30 km) on the streets of Saxony-Anhalt, trying to reach the new Daimler Truck Global Parts Center in Halberstadt – a stunt meant to honor the scheduled start of operations on July 10.
 
Mercedes says that the record run was performed as a means to “raise awareness of e-mobility, road safety and driver image.” As you might have guessed, the truck itself contributed a lot to the achievement, especially thanks to the many assistance systems it comes equipped with.
 
The new version of the eActros 600 entered the market in December last year and has since taken its place at the top of the Mercedes electric truck offering. Just a quick look at its specs will reveal why that is so.
 
The truck is powered by no less than three lithium iron phosphate battery packs, each with a capacity of 207 kWh, for a total of 621 kWh capacity. They are rugged enough to allow them to be used for up to 745,000 miles (1.2 million km) and still have a battery state of health of 80 percent.
 
The batteries feed an electric drive axle that delivers a combine 804 horsepower, and are large enough to allow the trucks using them to travel for up to 310 miles (500 km) without having to stop for a recharge.
 
Mercedes says the range “is accomplished under very realistic and practical conditions” and applies to gross combination mass of 40 tons – the truck is technically capable of moving a maximum of 44 tons, while with a standard semitrailer it weighs half that.
 

Technically speaking, the eActros 600 should be capable of going as much as 620 miles (1,000 km) per day with intermediate charging, provided driving style and route allow it, and taking into account statutory driver breaks.
 
Going for the Guinness World record for the longest distance driven in reverse in an articulated truck is not the only marketing gimmick Mercedes has tried to promote the eActros 600. Last year, the truck was part of something called the European Testing Tour 2024.
 
The effort had a series of Mercedes customers drive the 600 through 22 countries and for total distances of 9,320 miles (15,000 km). That effort was followed by the European Testing Tour Winter 2025, which saw eActros 600 trucks move over 40 tons of cargo on Northern European roads, for distances of over 4,000 miles (6,500 km).
 
It’s unlikely that the recently set record will be challenged anytime soon, but someone, somewhere, will eventually have a shot at it. Naturally, we will be on the lookout for that, and will tell you all about it as soon as it happens.