MAN reports 700 pre-orders for the eTruck
The majority of orders and order inquiries are for large-scale production, which is scheduled to start at the MAN plant in Munich from 2025. Trucks with diesel and battery-electric drives will then be produced on the same assembly line, which should give the manufacturer the greatest possible flexibility. However, small series production will begin this year.
MAN only opened the order books for the eTruck in October last year, which will be offered in the eTGX for long-distance transport and eTGS for distribution. Both models are based on the same modular system. The differences between the eTGX and eTGS correspond to the familiar diesel models, for example, the wider cab of the TGX. However, the modular technology is the same for the drive. Depending on the configuration, the electric motor delivers 254 kW, 330 kW or 400 kW with a maximum torque of 800, 1,150 or 1,250 Newton meters.
With up to six battery packs, two of which are installed under the cab and up to four more on the side of the vehicle frame, both offer up to 480 kWh of usable battery capacity for daily ranges of up to 800 kilometres. In addition to DC charging via CCS with up to 375 kW, the manufacturer has been offering the even more powerful megawatt charging standard (MCS) for fast intermediate charging during driving breaks since the start of sales, which will initially enable 750 kW, and in a later expansion stage even more than one megawatt of charging power.
The commercial vehicle manufacturer announced DB Schenker as its first customer a year ago, even before the official order launch. The logistics service provider plans to purchase a total of 100 heavy-duty electric trucks from MAN by 2026. “The right vehicles for the drive turnaround in road freight transport are therefore here and will be rolling out to the first customers this year,” says Alexander Vlaskamp, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus.
Even before the purchase of a new eTruck, MAN is supporting customers with its 360-degree eMobility Consulting. In addition to advice on the most suitable vehicle, this also includes consideration of customer-specific operating conditions, including cost optimization, route analysis, fleet optimization and, building on this, the necessary advice on charging infrastructure.
“Both the commercial vehicle industry and large parts of the logistics sector are ready to make a decisive contribution to the fight against climate change. However, we urgently need the right public charging infrastructure so that CO2-neutral freight transport on the road can pick up speed and customers are not disillusioned by the initial euphoria,” Vlaskamp stated.
In order to advance the topic of charging infrastructure, MAN “as part of the Traton Group, which in turn founded a subsidiary for truck charging services in October, is involved in the Milence joint venture together with the Volvo Group and Daimler Truck, which aims to establish “at least 1,700 high-performance and megawatt charging points for commercial vehicles across Europe”. “However, we urgently need the right public charging infrastructure so that CO2-neutral freight transport on the road can pick up speed and customers are not disillusioned by the initial euphoria,” Vlaskamp continued.
Despite these demands, customers do not appear to be avoiding using battery-electric trucks. On the contrary; the demand is there and the ‘Limited Edition’ eTruck is already almost sold out.
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