Schwarz Logistics relies on fully electric distribution truck from MAN

Schwarz Logistics GmbH from Nuremberg puts its first battery-electric truck into operation. The MAN eTGM with a permissible total weight of 26 tons supplies ZEISS in Oberkochen. The MAN eTGM has been produced in small series since the end of 2019.

(Munich) – Schwarz Logistics GmbH, a subsidiary of the Schwarz Group, has recently put a fully electric MAN eTGM into operation. The new electric truck is used for the production supply of the optics and electronics company ZEISS in Oberkochen. Specifically, the vehicle will deliver pre-products from the Schwarz logistics center in Herbrechtingen to Oberkochen three to four times a day, ensuring just-in-time delivery to ZEISS. A charging station installed directly at a loading ramp of the logistics center ensures reliable charging of the MAN eTGM. This guarantees that the electric truck is supplied with the electrical energy needed for the batteries during loading. To ensure the most sustainable operation of the swap body vehicle, Schwarz is currently working on an intelligent charging control system to charge the electric truck during the day and on weekends using solar energy from the solar panels on the roof of the logistics center.

Emission-free transport as a potential customer magnet

“For the Schwarz Group, it is a tremendous advantage to be able to actively shape the development towards electromobility at an early stage. This allows us to offer our customers timely functioning emission-free transport solutions,” emphasizes Managing Director Thomas Schwarz during the handover of the fully electric truck.

The MAN eTGM has been produced in small series since November 2019 and meets all essential requirements for urban delivery traffic of the future: it is locally emission-free and quiet. At the same time, the truck has sufficient payload to handle its typical transport tasks. The electric truck for medium and heavy distribution traffic can be configured as a refrigerated vehicle, with a swap body or beverage body. The eTGM offers a permissible total weight of 26 tons and is powered by a 264 kW (360 hp) electric motor that provides a maximum torque of 3,100 Nm. Auxiliary units such as power steering, air compressor, and air conditioning are electrically powered and controlled based on demand through energy management, thus saving energy.

Range increase through recuperation

Through brake energy recovery (so-called recuperation), the vehicle’s kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy during acceleration and braking phases and fed back into the battery storage. This can significantly increase the range. A display in the cockpit informs the driver about the current energy content of the batteries. The energy for the truck is provided by powerful lithium-ion batteries from the Volkswagen Group. These are located under the cab above the front axle, where the diesel drivetrain is placed in conventional vehicles. Additional batteries are located on the vehicle frame. The range of the MAN eTGM is up to 200 kilometers, depending on the area of application, climatic, and topographical conditions. The batteries can be charged either with a charging power of 22 or 44 kW with alternating current or as a so-called “High-Power Charging” with 150 kW direct current.

“We are pleased that we can take a pioneering role in such a forward-looking topic as electromobility in Baden-Württemberg together with innovative companies like the Schwarz Group,” says Björn Brückmann, Regional Sales Manager Truck Southwest, MAN Truck & Bus Deutschland GmbH.

To make the transition to electromobility as easy as possible, MAN Truck & Bus offers its customers individual, holistic, and solution-oriented consulting when acquiring an eTGM with MAN Transport Solutions. In addition, the drivers of the MAN eTGM receive driver training from MAN ProfiDrive, specifically designed for the requirements of driving a fully electric vehicle.

www.mantruckandbus.com/de/ www.schwarz-logistik.de

Image: © MAN Bus and Truck Deutschland GmbH