Must be economically viable
“Customers will only start using electric trucks in large numbers when it is economically viable for them,” says the CEO. “Above all, we need an appropriate charging infrastructure. We started a partnership with the energy company E.ON in June. Together we will install around 400 public charging points at 170 MAN service centers and business partners across Europe so that customers can charge at our yards.” He is also counting on 50,000 charging points to be installed in Europe by 2030.
For transport companies, however, the total cost of an electric truck, consisting of acquisition costs, operating costs and repair costs, is the most important factor. “We have different subsidies in the different European countries, where the investment is subsidized or, as in Germany, battery-electric trucks are exempt from tolls,” says Vlaskamp. “These are the levers that make it work.” However, he criticizes the fact that politicians pass laws but themselves contribute little to the mobility transition.
“The truck is seen as a cash cow”
Truck manufacturers and freight forwarders in Germany have proposed that half of the truck toll revenues totaling 7.5 billion euros should be used to promote investment and expand the e-charging infrastructure. “Unfortunately, this is not the case. The money goes into the budget,” says the MAN boss. “The truck is seen as a cash cow. In fact, the truck is the lifeblood of the economy, through which the flow of goods is distributed.”
In Austria, the purchase of electric trucks and charging infrastructure is subsidized (see right). This is especially important because an electric truck costs about three times as much to purchase as a diesel truck, i.e. more than 300,000 euros.
1.6 million kilometers
“The price is high, but the operating costs are a third of those of a diesel truck,” says Vlaskamp. Or to put it another way: the operating costs of an electric truck are 30,000 euros lower than those of a diesel truck. “An electric truck will have a payback period of three to four years,” says the MAN boss.
Long service life
MAN’s electric trucks already have a range of 300 to 450 kilometers in one go, and the daily range should be 600 to 800 kilometers with one recharge (duration: 45 minutes). “But we see that most customers use the vehicles for regional transport,” he says. This would mean that a significantly shorter range and fewer battery packs would be sufficient. MAN’s electric trucks should also score points in terms of service life. It is designed for up to 1.6 million kilometers or 15 years. Diesel trucks are often replaced after just 800,000 kilometers.