MAN Goes Electric With Crafter-Based eTGE Full-Size Van

MAN makes truck, buses, and vans. It also makes diesel engines, and the commercial vehicles in which to put them. Its latest product, however, doesn’t have a diesel engine; it’s all-electric.

Called the MAN eTGE, it’s based on the Volkswagen Crafter and shares much of its specifications with the recently launched e-Crafter. Alongside Scania, MAN sits under the VW Group umbrella as part of its Truck & Bus division.

The full-size van packs an electric motor rated at 100 kW (134 horsepower) and 290 Nm (214 lb-ft) of torque. That’s not a whole heck of a lot of muscle, but the eTGE is designed primarily for use within cities, so it will suffice. Even though it’s built in a country with a network of derestricted highways, the eTGE is only capable of reaching 90 km/h (56 mph).

It’ll charge its battery up to 80 percent capacity in just 45 minutes from a 40-kW charging station, or to full capacity in under five and a half hours. Plug it into a regular 220-volt outlet, though, and it’ll take nine hours to charge. But if you take good care of the batteries, MAN says they’ll only lose 15 percent of their capacity after 10 years and 2,000 charging cycles.

The battery sit in individually replaceable six- or twelve-cell modules under the floor, resulting in a load area that’s a little higher than in a front-drive variant, but about the same as a diesel-powered, rear-drive version.

The first examples will be delivered with a standard wheelbase and high roof for about €69,500, or about $85k at current exchange rates. It’s launching initially in city centers in Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, Norway and the Netherlands. There it’ll have to compete with the new Mercedes eSprinter, Iveco Daily Electric and Renault Master ZE in an increasingly competitive market for full-size electric vans.