A clear plan makes it easier to change the system

The logistics industry is facing the biggest transformation in its history. The internal combustion engine will be successively replaced by battery-electric drives in the coming years. This is bringing about profound changes. If you bought a diesel truck as a freight forwarder, press the start/stop button and – to put it simply – drove off. When switching to eTrucks, an entire system landscape must be considered and planned holistically beyond the vehicle purchase. Ranges, charging infrastructure, network connections and, last but not least, the higher acquisition costs initially cause uncertainty for many transport companies. In order to overcome these challenges and demonstrate the economic benefits of eTrucks too transparently, MAN launched the Transport Solutions division back in 2018, which today advises customers on the successful transformation of eTruck and eBus fleets.

The 360-degree eConsulting consulting

"An electric vehicle is no longer plug-and-play like a diesel vehicle. You have to explain the whole ecosystem to the customer," says Michael Voll, Head of MAN Transport Solutions. Together with his team and more than 100 specially trained "e-mobility champions" throughout Europe, he therefore picks up the logistics specialists exactly where they are today.

The extensive consultation process begins long before the purchase of the actual electric vehicle. In the first step, the experts analyse the customer’s specific routes. The topography, payload and deployment profile are used to calculate whether and how the eTruck can reliably and economically handle the transport task. "The initial range anxiety has now become more of a charging anxiety," observes Voll. But this concern, too, can be resolved through accurate, data-based planning.

However, the actual bottleneck of e-mobility is often below the surface: It is the power connection. "If a customer knows that they will need five megawatts of power at their depot in 2030, they must start talking to their grid operator today," says Voll. MAN Transport Solutions creates detailed "fleet transformation plans" precisely for this long-term planning. They show the stages in which a haulier can electrify their diesel fleet, when which infrastructure must be in place and how energy requirements are gradually growing.

The TCO is what counts

If the technical concept is available, a look at the figures follows. An eTruck currently costs around two and a half times as much to purchase as a comparable diesel truck. "The biggest challenge is to guide the customer through this initial investment barrier," says Sebastian Noah of MAN FinancialServices. The solution lies in the holistic consideration of the total cost of ownership (TCO).

This is because the electric truck is catching up with the higher acquisition costs during operation: In Germany, for example, vehicles are exempt from the toll, electricity is cheaper than diesel, AdBlue consumption is eliminated – and maintenance costs also tend to fall.

In order to reduce the monthly instalments for the freight forwarder to an attractive level – often similar to diesel – MAN FinancialServices also adjusts the terms. While diesel trucks are usually leased for 36 to 48 months, this period is postponed to 60 to 72 months for the eTruck. "The battery lives much longer than is generally assumed. This reduces the consumption of value and allows us to offer longer terms," adds Gertraud Thurner from MAN FinancialServices.

Safety for the carrier

As a proprietary financing company, MAN FinancialServices knows the technology of the vehicles well and can assess risks better than a traditional in-house bank. Whether it’s a mileage lease or hire purchase – the residual value risk of the new technology remains with MAN in doubt. For the freight forwarder, this means planning security.