In the field of new energy commercial vehicles in Europe, the German company MAN holds a leading position. Years ago, MAN began testing pure electric trucks and developing hydrogen combustion engines. Today, commercial products based on these technologies have arrived in the market. From the fully electric eTGS and eTGX heavy-duty trucks to the hydrogen-powered hTGX, MAN continues to demonstrate its ongoing commitment to technological development.
Looking at MAN’s diesel truck product line, you’ll find that based on tonnage and application scenarios, MAN trucks are divided into three levels and four models. The TGL and TGM correspond to light and medium-duty operations, while the TGS and TGX correspond to heavy-duty construction and long-haul transportation operations, respectively. However, in the electric truck sector, MAN’s current products are mostly concentrated on medium and heavy-duty trucks and light commercial vehicles, with a gap in the light-duty segment, unlike their diesel lineup.
To fill this gap, MAN has recently launched the all-new eTGL pure electric truck. The “e” stands for electric, “TG” represents Trucknology Generation, and “L” stands for light. The vehicle is designed for light and medium-duty urban distribution, tailored for city logistics businesses such as food chain stores, retailers, or the catering industry. It has a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 12 tons and a payload of 6.6 tons. With the arrival of the eTGL, MAN’s electric truck lineup now fully covers operations from 12 to 42 tons, offering more choices for various industries.
The MAN eTGL is based on the diesel version of the TGL, inheriting the chassis, cab, and other structural components. To meet actual operational needs, MAN chose the 12-ton TGL model as the base vehicle. Its balanced weight and payload make it more suitable for urban use. Additionally, the 12-ton total weight aligns with the upper limit of the EU N2 commercial vehicle category, offering regulatory and policy advantages.
On this foundation, MAN chose a wheelbase of 4,500 millimeters for the eTGL, providing better maneuverability and a smaller turning radius, making it easier to navigate narrow city streets—perfect for urban distribution. A wheelbase of 4.5 meters is neither too long nor too short and can accommodate body lengths of 6.2 meters or 7.3 meters. The former is commonly used for lightweight curtain-sided bodies, making loading and unloading more convenient, while the latter is used for rigid closed boxes, offering strong support and high sealing, ideal for transporting high-density cargo safely.
As mentioned earlier, the MAN eTGL electric truck shares the same lineage as its diesel counterpart, and thus, its appearance remains consistent with the diesel version. In 2020, MAN introduced the new generation of TG series trucks, and the new design has also been applied to the TGL. The blacked-out front panel has been enlarged and integrated with the lower front grille, giving it a more refined look.
The glossy MAN logo is embedded in the center of the front grille, further highlighting its identity. At the same time, the top of the grille features a chrome trim, with the roaring lion emblem in the center, a signature characteristic of the MAN commercial vehicle family.
The corner sections on both sides of the front grille are designed with air-guiding structures, helping to direct airflow smoothly around the vehicle and reduce aerodynamic drag. While the role of these deflectors may not be significant for an urban delivery truck, the soft yet bold lines of MAN’s design make the vehicle’s overall appearance even more striking.
Full LED headlights are one of the optional features of the MAN eTGL. The smooth design of the headlights seamlessly integrates with the vehicle’s lines, giving the front end a sharp and distinctive look. Additionally, the MAN OptiView electronic mirror system is available on the eTGL, offering an improved driving view and reducing the vehicle’s external protrusions. Combined with side blind-spot radar and other sensors, the system enables various active safety functions, significantly enhancing the vehicle’s operational safety.
The diesel-powered MAN TGL offers four cab options: the TM high-roof long version, TN low-roof long version, CC low-roof short version, and DN low-roof double-row version. For the currently available eTGL model, it features the CC low-roof short cab, with its compact size making more space available for the cargo box, catering to urban distribution needs.
Like most companies, the MAN eTGL is a “diesel-to-electric” conversion truck. By replacing the engine with an electric motor and swapping the fuel tank for a battery, the conversion is mostly complete. This approach avoids major modifications to the chassis or cab, reducing development, usage, and maintenance costs. After all, electric trucks are already expensive, and costs need to be minimized to achieve commercial success.
Similar to its big brothers, the eTGX and eTGS, the eTGL is also equipped with MAN’s self-developed central electric drive unit. This unit integrates a single motor and a two-speed gearbox, delivering 285 horsepower. The instant torque response gives the eTGL better maneuverability, and with the two-speed gearbox, it can adapt to various operational conditions more effectively.
The central electric drive unit transmits power to the rear axle via a driveshaft, resulting in a 4×2 drive configuration. Both the front and rear axles of the MAN eTGL are the same as those of the diesel version, ensuring high reliability and allowing maintenance at any MAN service center. The 4×2 drive configuration gives the vehicle a gross weight of 12 tons, with a payload of about 6.6 tons after deducting the curb weight.
Just like its diesel counterpart, the MAN eTGL also mounts the battery, air tank, electric air compressor, and other equipment and accessories on the sides of the chassis, making efficient use of space. A battery pack is installed on both sides of the frame, ensuring proper weight distribution. Each battery pack provides 80 kWh, giving the vehicle a total battery capacity of 160 kWh and a range of 235 kilometers. Additionally, the eTGL supports 250 kW DC fast charging, allowing a 10%-80% charge in just 30 minutes.
The eTGL uses the same battery technology as the eTGX and eTGS, manufactured at MAN’s Nuremberg plant. The batteries feature a modular design, making it easier to integrate them into various parts of the vehicle body, offering more flexible options for bodywork. The outer side of the battery is designed with a reinforced frame, providing stronger protection. A newly developed mounting system allows the battery packs to be quickly removed for easy maintenance and inspection. MAN has also optimized the battery composition and prepared for future recycling and reuse. While the energy density may not be the highest, its reliability and durability are top-notch.
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In terms of interior design, the MAN eTGL continues the new generation multimedia cabin introduced with the diesel version, featuring a new multifunction steering wheel, full LCD instrument panel, and a touchscreen multimediasteering wheel, a full LCD instrument panel, and a touch-sensitive multimedia screen. The level of digitalization and connectivity is quite high. However, these features are optional on the diesel version of the TGL. Want a premium experience? You’ll need to pay extra.
With the introduction of the eTGL model, MAN’s electric commercial vehicle lineup now covers various applications from 12-ton to 42-ton categories. Below this, there is also an electric version of the TGE light commercial vehicle, which basically covers the current mainstream applications. The new MAN eTGL electric truck will make its debut at this year’s IAA. Stay tuned as we bring you the latest updates. Thank you for reading this article! If you want to see more interesting and informative content about commercial vehicles, don’t forget to follow us!
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