MAN’s etruck: destined for the N3?

Speaking of range… it’s one of the burning questions with the eTruck. The other is charging. The charging statistics in the technical specs require some clarification because I honestly cannot reveal the range of the truck (we were not given this information). Instead, we were told that daily ranges between 600 and 800 km are possible, while a daily range of up to 1 000 km daily will be achievable in the second half of this decade with future battery generations.

However – and this is a very important proviso – this assumes that the driver will stop to charge the truck, because it cannot do 600 or 800 km on a single charge (which is the belief held by some operators).

By law, truck drivers in Europe must take a 45-minute break after every four-and-a-half hours at the wheel – so the stop is a given. When the driver stops, though, they will need to locate a Megawatt Charging System (MCS) – and not a conventional Combined Charging System (CCS) rapid charger.

MCS operates at a voltage of up to 1 250 volts and uses its own plug design. However, the key difference is the charging performance. CCS can provide a maximum of 375 kW, while the first phase of MCS can offer 750 to 1 000 kW. In theory, up to 3.75 megawatts will be possible, hence the name of the system. That is likely to be needed under some circumstances at a later date for coaches that travel at higher speeds and have less time available to charge.

The challenge is that the eTruck also needs to be able to fill its batteries quickly. By the end of the break, the power reserves of the eTruck should be full again – so MCS is vital.

So, in order for the eTrucks to work over long distances, a network of megawatt chargers needs to be in place. There are lots of initiatives underway to build up that network in Europe. For instance, MAN is part of a joint venture which aims to create a high-performance charging network in Europe with 1 700 green electricity charging stations.

But the network doesn’t currently exist. Neither does a ready and reliable supply of green electricity.

It would also be handy to have lots of parking bays for trucks that are equipped with CCS chargers. Therein lies another challenge: there aren’t enough parking bays for trucks in Europe (some say the shortage totals around 40 000) and the bays that do exist don’t have chargers.

This brings me back to the N3 and sunny South Africa. There are a number of reasons why we won’t see thousands of eTrucks trawling up and down the N3 any time soon. Firstly, there is the issue of cost: by the middle of this decade, e-mobility in Europe will be cost-neutral compared to diesel vehicles from a total cost perspective. The significantly higher acquisition costs for the battery-electric vehicle will be compensated for by the reduction in variable operating costs (energy, toll, etc). South Africa is a highly price-sensitive market, though, where there are no incentives or compensations in place. Big problem.

Secondly, we don’t have a network of chargers – forget about whether they’re CCS or MCS. The establishment of that network will cost a small fortune. Who is going to foot the bill?

Thirdly, we don’t have a steady supply of green electricity. Goodness gracious, we don’t even have a steady supply of dirty electricity.

The fourth problem is product related: the initial focus is on 4×2 and 6×2 models; 6x4s will only come in 2027 or 2028.

So, we have challenges. Huge challenges, in fact. Are they insurmountable? I really hope not, because I’d love to see that magic carpet ride become a reality.