The eTGX and eTGS will boast up to 480kWh of usable battery capacity capable of delivering a daily range of up to 500 miles, says the manufacturer, if an interim rapid charge-up is factored into the equation.
Rigid 4x2s and 6x2s and 4x2 tractor units will figure in the line-up but a 6x2 tractor unit will not be available. There is insufficient space on the chassis to package the batteries that would be required. At the same time MAN will be upgrading the support it offers British operators says UK managing director, Stefan Thyssen.
The UK is the company’s third biggest market in the entire world and 2023 was our most successful year ever here in revenue and profit terms,
he added. He wants to build on that success, and that means growing the dealer network. That will involve expanding and refurbishing some of the existing sites and recruiting more outlets.
We’ve got 66 locations and that’s not enough,
continued Thyssen.
We need 10 to 15 more. By the end of 2025 every single location will be ready to deal with electric vehicles.
The manufacturer also has plans in place to allow operators to charge their trucks at its dealerships. A battery repair centre will open on this side of the Channel in 2025 and MAN will be offering more comprehensive funding packages.
Traton Financial Services will soon be embedded in MAN’s UK business,
said MAN Truck and Bus global chief executive officer, Alexander Vlaskamp
Traton Group encompasses MAN, Scania, Navistar of the USA and VW Truck & Bus, which has a strong presence in South America.
At least some of MAN’s electric trucks could also be autonomous.
We’ve now got a licence to test autonomous trucks in Germany and testing has just started,
continued Vlaskamp.
Vlaskamp believes that driverless models could potentially go into service with hauliers on the public highway by the end of the decade, but only if the technology used is utterly reliable and safe; and that means safer than even the best driver.
If that can be achieved then the benefits will be enormous, he says, because a driverless truck can keep working 24/7.
He envisages them being used to haul goods from one distribution hub to another, with both hubs likely to be adjacent to a motorway.
Their introduction will be subject to legislation and clarity from insurers over who is responsible if there is an accident – the truck’s manufacturer, or its owner.
