De Jong Zuurmond is the first Dutch company to add three new MAN eTGMs to its fleet. The maintenance service provider for trunk roads and waterways used the fully electric 26-tonne truck as a winter service vehicle for the first time in this snowy winter in the Netherlands – with success. This proved that electric trucks can also be operated in winter temperatures without any problems.
De Jong Zuurmond is the first company in the Netherlands to expand its fleet with the MAN eTGM electric truck. The company uses three of the all-electric 26-ton trucks. The electric fleet of the long-standing MAN customer also includes an eTGE van. De Jong Zuurmond uses the electric trucks from MAN for one of its most important customers: the Rijkswaterstaat agency. This is part of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and is responsible, among other things, for the construction and maintenance of national roads and waterways. Rijkswaterstaat asked De Jong Zuurmond several years ago to switch to climate-friendly, CO2-neutral technology and vehicles. The expansion of the electric fleet with MAN eTGM is an important building block in the maintenance service provider’s decarbonization strategy. And this is implemented consistently: De Jong Zuurmond generates the electricity for MAN’s eTGM and eTGE in its own solar and wind power plants.
The MAN eTGM makes the route – even on slippery roads
The all-electric 26-ton trucks from MAN have quickly proved to be an efficient addition to the De Jong Zuurmond fleet. The eTGMs are mainly used for road marking work, and this winter one vehicle was also used as a gritting vehicle for the first time.
This raises the question of how a built-up gritting vehicle is operated in the Netherlands, where it snows relatively seldom? The last comparable snowstorm there was in 2010. The answer is: In the Netherlands, there are special gritting vehicles. When the snow falls, the construction companies are contacted to see if they have free capacity on their dumptrucks. The free dumptrucks are then fitted with a retrofit system for the duration of the winter and the silos with the gritting material are lashed to the tipping surface. The spreading drive of this superstructure is realized by a hydraulic pump flanged to the wheel hub on the last axle. This also provides the desired proportionality between speed and spreading quantity. At the De Jong Zuurmond company, the gritting build-up was mounted on the eTGM’s existing swap body system for the duration of the onset of winter. And then the electric truck drove over the snow- and ice-covered roads to spread.
Power for the eTGM is supplied by high-performance lithium-ion batteries from the Volkswagen Group. These are located under the driver’s cab above the front axle, where the diesel powertrain is located in conventional vehicles. Further batteries are located on the vehicle frame. During overrun and braking phases, the vehicle’s kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy and transferred back to the battery storage units. This increases the range noticeably.
The MAN eTGM: Good for the environment – and your ears
“With the eTGM, we have been able to strengthen our electric fleet and get a good deal closer to our goal of becoming emission-free. MAN is currently the only manufacturer that can supply us with suitable electric trucks factory-assembled,” says entrepreneur Gerrit Zuurmond. But it’s not just the environment that benefits from the new additions, he adds. There is also positive feedback from the employees: “Our drivers enjoy the peace and silence at work, because there are no loud engine noises in the eTGM or the eTGE. In addition, the vehicles have an extremely high torque. When we drive off with a eTGM at a traffic light, other trucks and buses can’t keep up with us.”
MAN’s all-electric trucks: Powerful in performance and comfort
The eTGM is powered by a 264 kW (360 hp) electric motor that achieves a maximum torque of 3,100 Nm. The driver’s cab is equipped with the same features as other trucks, from air-suspended seats to heating. Ancillary components such as power steering, air compressor or air conditioning are operated electrically and controlled by the energy management system according as required and therefore energy-saving.
To make the entry into electromobility as easy as possible, MAN Truck & Bus offers its customers individual and solution-oriented advice when they purchase an eTGM with MAN Transport Solutions. In addition, MAN eTGM drivers receive driver training through MAN ProfiDrive, which is specially designed to meet the requirements of driving an all-electric vehicle.
About De Jong Zuurmond
The company’s services are headquartered in Beesd and include infrastructure maintenance work for highways, provincial and municipal roads, and inland waterways. The company carries out both regular maintenance tasks, such as lawn care, and variable maintenance tasks, such as asphalt replacement and other repairs. Customers are mainly Dutch authorities, provinces and communities.
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