With their bright green “e-mobility” livery, you can’t fail to notice Quehenberger’s MAN eTGE vehicles as they drive in and around Salzburg. The Austrian transportation and logistics company has operated a total of three of these electric vans as part of its fleet since April 2019. They perfectly complement the company’s all-electric MAN eTGM distribution truck, which Quehenberger has already been using since autumn 2018. The 3.5-tonne vehicles are compact, yet still offer a high payload. They are deployed wherever quiet, emissions-free logistics are needed, and in situations where the company’s three-axle, 26-tonne MAN e-truck is too big or heavy to be used.
For Christian Fürstaller, CEO and Managing Partner of Quehenberger Logistics GmbH, one thing is clear: “Offering CO2-free local distribution in inner cities will become indispensable in future. The MAN eTGE has enabled us to continue expanding our quiet, emissions-free inner-city logistics for our fashion and retail customers,” explains the CEO. Christian also believes that the battery-powered vans offer one other crucial advantage: “E-mobility enables us to reduce the amount of traffic at peak times, as it allows us to shift the delivery slots to overnight and early-morning periods.”
Apart from the tyre rolling noise, the electric vans really are virtually silent when on the move, which means it is possible to start deliveries very early in the morning. Quehenberger starts deliveries to customers located in Salzburg’s inner-city area as early as 4:30 a.m. – far earlier than other delivery vehicles or rush-hour traffic, and all without waking up local residents.
However, the MAN eTGE doesn’t just respond to the needs of residents in urban areas, it has also been designed to be eminently usable for drivers in day-to-day operations. If you thought that batteries usually take up cargo space, think again: the spacious eTGE offers some 10.7 m3 of load space. Is it even possible to customise electric vehicles? Of course: the wood-panelled interior of the three eTGEs was manufactured specifically to meet Quehenberger’s needs. The 3.5-tonne vehicles transport small pallets, small to medium-sized packages, but often also hanging goods – the latter is made possible by securing rods which can be moved about with ease. What’s more, the load area offers comfortable headroom, which was one of Quehenberger’s key configuration requests.
MAN’s electric van also sets itself apart with its extensive range of standard equipment, which includes features such as a Comfort Plus driver’s seat, a heated windscreen, the MAN Media Van Navigation infotainment system, the EBA advanced emergency braking system, cruise control, the active Lane Guard System, the side protection assistant, the rear-view camera and LED headlights. All this makes the MAN eTGE an effective, comfortable and safe place to work in day-to-day operations.
The charging infrastructure for all of Quehenberger’s electric commercial vehicles is located at the Bergheim site, around ten minutes from Salzburg. This is where the vans and truck start their daily trips. This site features a 22-kW charging station, which combines Mennekes AMMAX high-voltage sockets for the eTGEs and a Mennekes AMTRON wallbox for the eTGM.
As was already the case for the MAN eTGM field trial truck, Quehenberger will share the empirical data it gathers from deploying the eTGEs in practice. The data gained in this way – such as usage profiles, actual ranges achieved and service logs – will help MAN in its efforts to continuously enhance its vehicles.
