DHL Freight to run SuperPanther eTopas 600 in Netherlands
SuperPanther's first Europe-made electric truck rolls off the line, bound for DHL Freight's Dutch fleet.
From Left to Right: Chao Liu (Founder & CEO SuperPanther) and Antje Huber (DHL Freight)
DHL Freight, one of the leading providers of road transportation in Europe, has taken delivery of the first series-produced SuperPanther eTopas 600 heavy-duty electric truck manufactured in Europe, marking a fresh step in the division's efforts to make its fleet more sustainable. The vehicle was manufactured and handed over at SuperPanther's plant in Steyr, Austria, on July 30, and will be deployed by DHL Freight in the Netherlands.
The collaboration between DHL Freight and SuperPanther, a manufacturer of electric trucks, began in 2024 with a joint memorandum of understanding formalising the partnership. In 2025, DHL Freight tested the electric truck extensively in daily operations in Austria, including on the route between Vienna and Wels under real-world conditions. The trials were consistently positive, leading the division to deploy the SuperPanther in day-to-day operations for customers in the Netherlands. The truck will be transferred from Austria to the Netherlands in August and is scheduled to enter service there in September.
Antje Huber, SVP Strategy, Marketing & Staff at DHL Freight, said the arrival of the first eTopas 600 turns the company's strategic partnership with SuperPanther into a tangible operational milestone. She said the tests in Austria provided valuable insights into the vehicle's suitability for everyday use, and that the planned deployment within the DHL Freight network is the next step in jointly advancing low-emission road transport.
SuperPanther, a Chinese company founded in 2022, specialises in new energy technologies for medium-duty and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. The eTopas 600 is the first electric truck the manufacturer has developed for the European market, produced in cooperation with Steyr Automotive GmbH.
DHL Freight said it is testing various vehicle types and drive technologies while continuously expanding its own fleet of low-emission vehicles, with around 1,700 such vehicles already in operation, supporting the Group's goal of achieving net-zero logistics-related emissions by 2050.
The SuperPanther eTopas 600 is fitted with a CATL lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, with an installed capacity of 621 kWh. It has a continuous motor output of 394 kW and a peak output of 692 kW, offering a range of up to 560 km. The truck supports charging power of up to 660 kW via a dual CCS2 setup, allowing a charge from 20-80% in 38 minutes or less.
