Electric trucks from MAN: Welcome to the era of eTrucks

Granted, electric trucks are more expensive to purchase than a comparable vehicle with a diesel genset. But by the time it comes to the variable operating costs for energy and tolls, for example, the eTruck will have overtaken its counterpart with an internal combustion engine. In addition, government subsidies for electric trucks have a positive influence on the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), where parity can be reached after as little as four years, depending on individual circumstances.

Electric trucks provide special protection for high-voltage batteries against frontal, side, underbody and rear-end collisions. If the smart sensors of the MAN eTruck detect an impending accident, the battery is switched off immediately via emergency energy shutdown. Another safety-relevant aspect is the MAN eManager, which constantly monitors the battery and sounds an alarm at an early stage if the temperature rises.

Locally carbon-free – this target is easy to achieve with a MAN eTruck. Thanks to the electric driveline, carbon emissions are cut to 0 g/km, providing clear benefits for the environment. In addition, the batteries of the electric truck have a recycling rate of more than 90%.

It’s not just the driver who reaps the benefits of an electric truck – there are also two major advantages for residents of urban areas: Firstly, the electric drive puts a stop to pollutant emissions, which has a positive effect on air quality. Secondly, noise emissions also decrease significantly, which helps to increase public acceptance of these vehicles. If the measurements of a conventional truck are compared with those of an electric truck, the result is a reduction of about 9 dB(A). This means that one conventionally powered truck generates about as much sound as 8 electric trucks. This lower noise level allows for night deliveries, for example, which can relieve traffic in conurbations during the day without disturbing residents at night with noise and exhaust fumes.

Anyone familiar with MAN TGX or MAN TGS trucks knows about the excellent durability of these vehicles. The MAN eTrucks also offer an excellent vehicle base for all focus applications from roll-off skip loader to ultra semitrailer and feature a high driving range and wide range of payloads based on MAN’s body expertise.

At present, the purchase cost of an electric truck is higher than for a diesel truck. However, this is offset over the long term by lower energy costs (electricity price). Likewise, you save on tolls and can receive rebates through the new energy levies such as the greenhouse gas reduction quota (GHG quota) in Germany. As a general rule, the higher the mileage, the greater the savings.

With the new generation of MAN eTrucks, daily ranges of between 600 and 800 km will be possible with intelligent use of break times (approx. 45 min) for intermediate charging. And of course, this is with the maximum possible battery capacity of 480 kWh for the MAN eTruck. In the future, daily ranges of as much as 1,000 kilometres will be possible.

The new generation of MAN eTrucks starts with the models MAN eTGX and MAN eTGS. Depending on the intended use, there is a choice of six different cabs and up to twelve different focus applications for these two model lines. From refrigerated box to platform body with loading crane to ultra semitrailer, almost all known applications can be electrified with the MAN eTrucks.

When it comes to charging an electric truck, there are two options: The Combined Charging System (CCS) charges at up to 375 kW, while the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) connected to the cooling system of the electric truck allows for charging at up to 750 kW.

The consumption of a MAN electric truck depends on numerous factors such as weather and temperature, payload, topography of the route and type of road (country road, motorway, city).

With a 480 kWh battery and a charging break of about 45 minutes, a MAN eTruck can travel 600 to 800 kilometres per day.