This Mercedes electric truck just drove in reverse for six hours straight and set a world record
Published on Jun 06, 2025 at 3:32 PM (UTC+4)
by Keelin McNamara
Last updated on Jun 06, 2025 at 9:25 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
Mercedes-Benz is one of the most famous and well-known brands in the world.
Germany’s finest is known for its innovation and has a reputation for forward-thinking.
But it’s in the news today for looking in the rear-view mirror.
Because it has broken the world record for reversing an articulated truck.
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Truck drivers have a notoriously difficult career on the roads.
It’s often assumed that truck drivers simply ride the highways from A to B.
Of course, that is far from the reality for our 18-wheeler friends.
Truck drivers often face the task of working through narrow turns and bends.
And the most difficult part of it all? Having to reverse those massive vehicles.
As it turns out, the world of truck reversing is actually a rather competitive one.
Back in 2020, an American truck driver set the world record for continuous reversing.
The truck driver reversed his diesel truck for 55.3 miles straight.
It turns out that Mercedes has become aware of this reversing record.
And the German marque has taken it somewhat personally.
To that end, Mercedes recently set out to break that world record.
Marco Hellgrewe is the man the marque recruited for the task at hand.
In case you’ve never heard of Hellgrewe, he is the man responsible for starting this entire record.
He set the original reversing world record in 2008, driving 39.7 miles in reverse.
So Mercedes invited Hellgrewe out of retirement to do it once again.
The German native was equipped with a Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 electric truck.
Hellgrewe was sent to the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben racetrack in Germany.
And lo and behold, he set a new reversing world record for Mercedes.
The skilled driver managed to reverse an incredible 77.4 miles, lapping the race track 476 times.
It took six hours and 22 minutes, moving at an average of 12.4 miles per hour.
The brand-new Mercedes eActros 600 electric truck entered the market last December.
This truck is powered by three lithium-ion phosphate battery packs.
These batteries feed an electric drive axle that delivers a combined 804HP.
Could the new Mercedes eAcros 600 be a realistic contender to its main rivals?
It will be very interesting to see how it performs in terms of its competition.
Keelin McNamara is a content writer at Supercar Blondie from Ireland, covering cars, technology, and lifestyle. Despite being a Law graduate, he discovered his passion for journalism during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has worked in the industry ever since. Outside of work, he is an avid MotoGP fan, and is a self-confessed addict of the sport.
