With the high up-front cost of electric HGVs it is vital that the trucks are used as much as possible, replacing their fossil fuel-powered cousins. BMW having a 360km route between two company owned facilities – Leipzig and Regensburg – is the perfect example of this in practise.
Using a MAN eTGX, the route can be covered comfortably with no intermediate charging, thanks to its 500km range. The fuel consumption from the loaded eTGX ultra low-liner was calculated at 75kWh per 100 kilometres.
The BMW plant transport route between Regensburg and Leipzig and back is currently travelled by transport operator, Elflein 25 times a day – so far with diesel and bio-LNG trucks. Complete electrification of the 50 daily individual journeys would save up to 3,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. This calculation is based on a CO2 reduction of 251 kg per route (360 km), extrapolated to 50 journeys per day and an operating time of five days per week – the use of bio-LNG is not taken into account here.
Charging infrastructure and planning
With a future gradual switch to electric vehicles, this means a significant reduction in CO2 emissions. Charging infrastructure for the eTrucks is already available at the Elflein logistics centre in Leipzig and at other Elflein locations along the route in the future.
“Once again, the MAN eTGX proves its absolute practicality and suitability for long-distance transport in use with Elflein. In BMW’s production logistics, the ultra-low liner variant was also able to demonstrate its unique selling point on the market for all-electric transport of up to three metres in height. And all this with a very low power consumption of 75 kWh per 100 kilometres. This proves once again that the switch to zero-emission vehicles is already straightforward today,” says Dennis Affeld, Managing Director of MAN Truck & Bus Germany.
Rüdiger Elflein, Managing Partner at Elflein: “By integrating the first MAN eTGX into our fleet, we are taking a significant step towards zero-emission logistics. The range drive impressively demonstrated the performance that modern electric trucks already offer today and that range anxiety is unfounded. In the logistics industry, routes have to be planned meticulously and in detail – integrating a charging stop here is no problem. Our goal is to continuously expand the electrification of our fleet and provide our customers with sustainable transport solutions at the highest level.”
Technological openness in logistics
Elflein has been a reliable partner of the BMW Group in inter-plant transport for many years. The company carries out national and international transport operations for various BMW sites on a daily basis. A wide variety of goods such as body parts, sheet metal parts and classified hazardous goods are transported. The high cycle times, the requirements for just-in-time and just-in-sequence deliveries and the sensitive handling of complex materials make plant transport a supreme logistical discipline – a challenge that Elflein meets with the utmost precision and innovative strength.
“Our corporate strategy of technological openness is also reflected in BMW Group transport logistics. For this reason, we are consistently driving forward pioneering logistics projects and have established the BMW Group Strategy for Reduced Logistics Emissions for this purpose. Among the alternative drive systems, the e-truck shows great potential for reducing emissions in the near future. We very much welcome the fact that low-liner e-trucks are now being produced in series, as they are absolutely essential for automotive logistics,” says Michael Nikolaides, Head of Production Network and Logistics BMW Group. “The current e-truck pilot in BMW plant transport between our locations has shown that a route of over 700 km round trip is already possible without any problems.”
Ultra-Low-Liner
The MAN eTGX impresses as an ultra low liner with a semitrailer height of just 950 mm, a short wheelbase of 3.75 metres and a maximum battery capacity that enables a range of up to 500 kilometres. This makes it ideal for automotive logistics, where maximum loading volume of up to three metres interior height is crucial. Thanks to its modular battery concept with four, five or six battery packs and power levels of 449 or 544 hp, the eTruck can be flexibly adapted to different transport requirements. In addition to the standard CCS charging technology with a charging capacity of up to 375 kW, the MAN eTGX is also available with the new MCS standard, which enables charging capacities of up to one megawatt and thus allows fast intermediate charging during driving breaks.
“With the additional MAN eTGXs in our fleet, we are systematically entering the next phase of electrification. Our all-electric fleet already comprises eleven e-trucks. Our goal is clear: we want to continuously increase the proportion of zero-emission vehicles. Sustainability is not a trend for us, but part of our corporate culture. That is why we are not only investing in alternative drive systems, but also in our own charging infrastructure and green energy. We are convinced that the future of logistics is electric – and we are actively helping to shape it,” says Rüdiger Elflein, Managing Director of Elflein.