MAN launches series production of electric trucks
The German company MAN has given the green light to series production of the electric eTruck. Since 16 June, the Munich plant has been producing electric and diesel trucks on the same production line. MAN plans to deliver the first thousand electric trucks by the end of the year.
Here's What We Know
The company has decided not to separate production by engine type. Electric and diesel trucks are assembled on the same assembly line - this is also done by competitor Daimler Truck at the Wörth plant. Michael Kobriger, member of MAN's Management Board for Production and Logistics, says this gives more flexibility.
Here's how it works: diesel trucks get axles, fuel tanks and an exhaust system. Electric models instead get two battery packs under the cab. A high-voltage distributor, air conditioning compressor and other electrical components are also mounted there. All of this is packaged in a compact E-Powerpack module, which is prepared on a separate pre-assembly line.
The Munich plant can produce around 100 trucks per day (both diesel and electric). It takes approximately eight hours to assemble one truck.
At the end of the assembly line, all trucks go through a "wedding" - this is what the automotive industry calls the installation of the cab on the frame. After that, the wheels are mounted and final tuning and quality checks are carried out.
According to MAN, the main advantage of the electric truck is that all the power equipment is placed in the lower part of the frame. This gives customers more options for configuring their vehicles.
The electric trucks will be available in three models: eTGX, eTGS and eTGL. All of them have corresponding diesel versions.
The engines have a power output of 245, 330 or 400 kilowatts. With six NMC batteries, the trucks get a total capacity of up to 534 kW⋅h (480 kW⋅h of usable capacity). MAN claims this provides a range of up to 500 kilometres without intermediate charging. The company promises a seventh battery for an even greater range of up to 740 kilometres, but has not yet revealed details.
At the production launch ceremony, MAN representatives said that their electric trucks will be able to operate for a day on routes of up to 850 kilometres with intermediate charging. Average electricity consumption will be 97 kW⋅h per 100 kilometres.
Source: MAN
