The first battery-electric truck in the building materials trade in Germany was recently put into operation by STARK Deutschland GmbH. The MAN eTGM, which was co-financed by the federal state of Hesse, will deliver building materials to construction sites. Another premiere in this context is the truck-mounted forklift, which is also electrically powered.
STARK Deutschland GmbH is the first company in the German building materials trade to take part in a practical test for eLogistics in cooperation with Fulda University of Applied Sciences. The focus of this real-life application test is the delivery of building materials with an all-electric truck from MAN Truck & Bus, the MAN eTGM, in combination with an electric truck-mounted forklift. For the MAN eTGM, this is the first deployment in the building materials trade, which represents a new area of application for the electric truck due to its less uniform routes. STARK Germany is part of the international STARK Group, headquartered in Copenhagen, and one of the leading building materials dealers in Germany. In about 260 branches, around 6,000 employees generate an annual turnover of approximately 2.5 billion euros.
Nils Heine, who is responsible for the eMobility Truck Sales Division at MAN Truck & Bus SE, classifies the use of the MAN eTGM in the building materials trade as follows: “On the way to sustainable freight transport, it is necessary for all sectors to be on board. That’s why I’m very pleased that we were able to convince STARK, a customer from an area of application in the construction sector, of the performance of our electric truck. We at MAN are firmly convinced that electric mobility is the key technology with which the transformation of the transport sector will succeed ecologically and economically.”
The area of operation for this practical test, accompanied by the Fulda University of Applied Sciences, is the Rhine-Main region. Charging stations with 55 kW charging power have been set up at the Frankfurt am Main and Darmstadt branches of Raab Karcher, a brand of STARK Germany. The MAN eTGM will start and end its tours there. As part of the practical test, data will be collected in the coming months to investigate the potential of eTrucks in delivery traffic.
The starting signal for the project, with which the building materials dealer is driving forward an initiative of the federal state of Hesse to promote sustainable transport, was marked by the commissioning of the MAN eTGM with a 26-tonne GVW on 29 November 2021. “As early as March 2021, the STARK Group committed to the 1.5 degree target of the Paris Climate Agreement as part of the ‘Science Based Targets’. With the acquisition of the eTruck and the start of the project, we are now striving towards this goal even more strongly in Germany together with the University of Fulda and our strong supplier partners,” says Michael Knüppel, CEO at STARK Germany.
Christoph Huber, Chairman of the Executive Board of MAN Truck & Bus Deutschland GmbH, also focuses on the aspect of sustainability: “The long-term goal is a more sustainable orientation of the transport sector in Germany. As a commercial vehicle manufacturer, we want to make an essential contribution here with our locally emission-free vehicles and at the same time provide our customers with comprehensive support on their way to electromobility, including 360° advice, driver training and excellent service.” Michael Voll, Head of MAN Transport Solutions Consulting, adds that the consulting project at STARK Germany was a particularly interesting one. He provides the following insight: “First, we analysed the possible tours in three different cities. Then, by means of a shortlist, we drew up a recommended course of action for the client for the initial deployment of the eTGM.”
Since more than 95 per cent of the approximately 260 branches in the STARK Germany brand network are already powered by green electricity, the project’s carbon footprint is also improved by “filling up” with green energy. In urban areas in particular, the noise pollution is also an enormous advantage of the eTGM, which, in contrast to trucks with combustion engines, glides almost silently over the roads. “After two weeks in operation, the reactions of our customers confirm that we made the right and, above all, pioneering decision by participating in the joint project with Fulda University of Applied Sciences,” says Timo Kirstein, Managing Director Sales at STARK Germany. “We are sure that the topic of sustainability will be an even stronger success factor in the future.”
The range of the MAN TGM 26.360 E LL, as its official type designation is, is up to 200 kilometres, depending on the area of operation, climatic and topographical conditions. The eTGM is powered by a 264 kW (360 hp) electric motor that provides a maximum torque of 3,100 Nm. Ancillary units such as the power steering, air compressor and air conditioning are operated electrically and controlled by the energy management system according to demand, thus saving energy. The batteries can be charged either with a charging power of 22 or 44 kW with alternating current or as so-called “high-power charging” with up to 150 kW/800V direct current. In addition, the vehicle is equipped with an electric truck-mounted forklift, which has a payload of up to 2.5 tonnes and is powered by a 13 kW electric motor.