MAN hands over electric trucks for testing

MAN has announced that official testing of its electric trucks has begun with nine companies taking delivery of a variety of fully-electric trucks.

The test vehicles are designed specifically for each customer and prepared for real-world testing. During the test drives, which will last for several months, the participating companies will use the vehicles in regular logistics operations as part of their existing fleets

MAN says it will incorporate the experience gained together with the CNL’s partner companies into the continuing mass development of its electric trucks.

The new electric vehicles include four 6x2 chassis with refrigeration units and liftgates, three 6x2 chassis with swap bodies, one 6x2 chassis for beverage transport at the Stieglbrauerei, and one 4x2 prime mover for plant logistics applications at Magna Steyr.
The choice of vehicles is designed to form a representative cross-section of the most common distribution transport tasks in urban logistics.

The MAN electric trucks’ chassis are based on the MAN TGM. The electric motor, located in the centre of the frame, outputs 264kW and delivers up to 3100Nm of torque to the drive wheels without a manually operated gearbox.

The lithium-ion batteries are fitted beneath the cab on the side of the frame. In the 26-tonne rigid version (MAN TGM 6X2-4 LL), a total of 12 batteries are installed; these allow for a range of up to 200 kilometres depending on the body configuration, type of use and driving profile.

Up to eight battery packs can be used in the prime mover version (MAN TGM 4X2 LL) – giving a range of up to 130 kilometres, depending on the usage profile and type of trailer.

Joachim Drees, chairman of the Executive Board of Man Truck & Bus AG, and his board colleague Dr. Ulrich Dilling, responsible for production and logistics, handed over the trucks at the Steyr production site.

The handover was made to CNL member companies Gebrüder Weiss, HOFER, Magna Steyr, METRO, Quehenberger Logistics, REWE, Schachinger Logistik, SPAR and Stieglbrauerei.

In the coming months, the companies will thoroughly test the vehicles under real-world conditions in their specific logistic and transport everyday life.

In a statement, MAN said that the official hand-over sees MAN Truck & Bus reach another milestone on the road to electrified urban distribution transport – a mission in which zero-emissions and low levels of noise pollution play an increasingly important role.

The CNL members’ vehicle tests in routine logistics services underscore MAN’s approach of working together with customers and taking their practical experience on board to develop sustainable logistics solutions.

During the hand-over ceremony, which was held at the Steyr plant’s electric truck production facilities, Joachim Drees was impressed by the joint project with the CNL, stating: “The time has come, the first MAN electric trucks are on the road – in everyday use by our customers. From now on, they deliver, for example, drinks, food, or vehicle parts – local emissions-free and almost silent. The handover of the first eTrucks is not only a special moment for the cooperation project with the CNL, but also for the 260-year company history of MAN.”