SuperPanther has become the first Chinese truck brand to assemble a heavy-duty electric vehicle in Europe, as the eTopas 600 rolls off the production line at Steyr Automotive’s plant in Upper Austria. Series production began there in July 2026, and the first series vehicle reportedly left the plant on 27 July. The key stage, achieved through a partnership with Sinotruk and Steyr, points to a new phase in the continent’s logistics sector, where commercial buyers increasingly value proximity and rapid delivery.
The collaboration brings together Asian engineering and European manufacturing. The production arrangement is semi-knocked-down (SKD): core modules arrive pre-assembled, while final assembly, integration, commissioning and quality control take place in Austria. Steyr Automotive handles local assembly, while SuperPanther supplies the vehicle architecture and modules. The truck is so assembled in Europe, rather than wholly manufactured there, a distinction relevant to local value creation and supply-chain exposure. This approach gives SuperPanther a production foothold and puts technical support closer to its European customers.
The first series-produced 4×2 electric tractor unit left the Steyr factory as a finished vehicle destined for real-world use, not as a prototype. Four launch customers received the initial batch: DHL Freight, which previously partnered with SuperPanther on European trials; road transport operator GRESS; Austrian retailer TEMMEL, where the eTopas is already in daily service; and LONTEX, a commercial vehicle services provider active in Poland and the Czech Republic. LONTEX provides technical assistance and telematics, as well as depot-charging services. SuperPanther also signed a Europe-wide agreement with Alltrucks in September 2025 covering maintenance, repairs and 24-hour roadside assistance.
With these deliveries, SuperPanther’s commercial operations for the eTopas 600 cover Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland and the Czech Republic. The truck is designed for a gross combined weight of up to 42 tonnes and has an unladen weight of 10.8 tonnes, allowing for a high payload. Its dual-motor axle delivers 394 kW of continuous power and peaks at 692 kW. The system runs on an 876-volt electrical system and uses a 621 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery from CATL. The battery is rated for up to 4,500 full cycles and a lifespan of 1.2 million kilometers or eight years.
Published technical specifications also list dual CCS2 charging with a combined maximum power of 660 kW. Charging from 20% to 80% takes up to 38 minutes when both connections are used. The stated theoretical range is up to 560 km; actual operating range depends on payload, terrain, weather and charging strategy. The model has reportedly received European Community type approval, allowing commercial registration under the relevant European regulatory structure.
DHL Freight received a Steyr-assembled eTopas 600 in July 2026 and deployed it on routes in the Netherlands and Belgium. From September, the truck was reported to be covering about 2,000 km per week in Benelux operations. This followed Austrian testing in spring 2026, when an eTopas reportedly traveled about 1,900 km over two weeks. The deployments put the vehicle into freight operations beyond demonstration use. Swiss fleet operator Hugelshofer has also added a Steyr-assembled eTopas 600 to its electric fleet.
For emerging manufacturers like SuperPanther, local production is a strategic way to build trust and establish a foothold in the European market. Professional buyers weigh technical specifications alongside shorter delivery times and local service and support. Assembly in Austria, combined with service partnerships across Europe, addresses two practical hurdles for newer truck brands: delivery lead times and after-sales coverage.
SuperPanther has reportedly set delivery targets of about 100 vehicles in 2026 and 1,000 by 2027, with later eTopas power variants planned at up to 500 kW. The company’s European rollout reflects a broader shift: Chinese manufacturers are pairing vehicle technology and imported modules with European assembly, while also building service capacity and running fleet trials, rather than relying exclusively on completed-vehicle imports. The same approach is emerging in the passenger car segment, as explored in our review of how the Opel Mokka GSE is reshaping expectations for electric SUVs.
The eTopas 600’s launch could accelerate the adoption of electric trucks in European logistics, especially as infrastructure for high-power charging expands. Logistra’s technical reporting puts the truck’s maximum dual-charging rate at 660 kW, while DHL’s reported weekly mileage in the Benelux offers an early indication of its use in freight operations. As more Chinese brands consider European assembly, the competitive field for commercial vehicles is set to change rapidly.
