Chinese SuperPanther e-truck enters series production in Austria

Chinese electric truck manufacturer SuperPanther has started series production of its eTopas 600 electric tractor unit at contract manufacturer Steyr Automotive in Austria and delivered the first vehicles to customers. Steyr Automotive announced that the first series-produced 4×2 battery-electric tractor unit from SuperPanther rolled off the assembly line at its Upper Austrian plant on 27 July. The company also handed over the first vehicles to customers DHL, Gress, Temmel and Lontex, putting the eTopas 600 into regular commercial service in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland and the Czech Republic. The eTopas 600 is built in Austria using the semi-knocked-down (SKD) method, with pre-assembled modules integrated during final assembly at Steyr Automotive. SuperPanther supplies core components including the dual-motor e-axle, power electronics and thermal management system. Additional components come from European suppliers such as ZF, Schaeffler, Aumovio, Infineon, Michelin, Continental, Goodyear and Castrol. Steyr Automotive is responsible for final assembly, commissioning and quality assurance. The eTopas 600 has a tare weight of 10.8 tonnes and a gross vehicle weight rating of 42 tonnes. Its dual-motor e-axle delivers a continuous output of 394 kW and a peak output of 692 kW. The 876-volt electrical architecture draws power from a 621 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery supplied by CATL. According to SuperPanther, the battery is designed for up to 4,500 full charge cycles and a service life of up to 1.2 million kilometres or eight years. The truck features CCS2 charging ports on both sides, allowing it to charge simultaneously from two compatible charging stations. In practical tests, the dual-gun charging function reached a peak charging power of 646.7 kW, with an average of 635 kW. Under real-world European operating conditions with mixed payloads, the eTopas 600 achieves a range of around 600 kilometres without fully depleting the battery. For maintenance and repairs, SuperPanther collaborates with the independent workshop network Alltrucks, which also provides a 24/7 breakdown service. In parallel, the company is establishing training programmes for service technicians, spare parts logistics, remote diagnostics, and over-the-air software updates. “Our aim is to realise the eTopas 600 as a European series product: with local adaptations, validation and manufacturing processes on site,” explains Dr Michael Ruf, SuperPanther’s head of Europe. “We do not see Europe as a market that can simply be supplied – we see it as a system in which a vehicle has to function from a regulatory, industrial and operational perspective.” For further insights into SuperPanther’s strategy in Europe, we recommend our interview with Frank Schulz, Head of European Sales for the Chinese battery-electric truck brand. steyr-automotive.com