Since April 2011, the cleaning and hygiene products wholesaler, in cooperation with MAN Truck & Bus AG, has been testing a MAN TGL 12.220 vehicle with a hybrid drive in Munich. The customer tests are being carried out as part of the “HyTruck – modular hybrid drive for commercial vehicles” project, supported by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology. By the time the project concludes, scheduled for the end of September, important insights and experiences are being gathered, which MAN will use to further optimize its hybrid-powered trucks. The Arndt GmbH & Co. KG group of companies has long been interested in innovative MAN vehicle solutions for logistics. Aiming to reduce fuel consumption in urban delivery traffic and limit CO2 emissions, Arndt is monitoring the development of alternative drive technologies, especially hybrid technologies.
– It is precisely in delivery traffic that hybrid technology allows for significant savings. Urban traffic poses a serious challenge not only for ensuring punctual deliveries but also for the economical and efficient use of the vehicle fleet. Therefore, we gladly accepted the proposal to test two MAN TGL 12.220 vehicles with hybrid drives on our routes – says Thomas Wölflein, director at Arndt.
MAN has high hopes for the practical customer tests, expecting valuable information for the further optimization of the hybrid system. As part of the tests, data regarding the load on hybrid components is being collected, and system stability is being tested. The “stop and go” mode, typical of urban traffic, provides not only conclusions about the optimal management of the hybrid and energy system but also enables an energy analysis of the vehicle under normal conditions. Systematic information exchange with Arndt’s logistics staff provides additional valuable insights into the functioning of the hybrid system. MAN will use the insights gained in this way to define further requirements for hybrid systems, further improve vehicle operation, and continue optimizing energy management and fuel consumption reduction. Since 2010, MAN Lion’s City Hybrid city buses have been tested in daily operation in several European cities. Depending on operating conditions, the tested vehicles confirm the possibility of reducing fuel consumption by up to 30 percent. In truck delivery traffic, a reduction in fuel demand of up to 15 percent is expected.
– The Arndt Group is an ideal entity for testing the MAN TGL 12.220 with a hybrid drive, as it represents the target group for which vehicles with the tested hybrid drive are intended. The success of hybrid drives on the market depends on their reliability, economy, and efficiency. Intensive practical tests in delivery traffic will provide us with reliable information on these parameters under real-world conditions. MAN will continue its efforts to adapt hybrid drive systems to the requirements of various vehicle classes and introduce them into series production – says Stefan Kerschl, project manager at MAN Truck & Bus.
In the MAN TGL 12.220 model with a hybrid drive, already presented at the IAA commercial vehicle trade fair in 2010, a 220 HP four-cylinder Common Rail diesel engine in the EEV version was installed under the cab. A 60 kW electric motor is also connected to the drivetrain. The clutch is located between the combustion engine and the electric motor. This allows the combustion engine to be disconnected from the drivetrain, ensuring a switch to electric drive. The electric motor is powered both motorically and by a generator. In this way, energy recovered during coasting and braking is stored in the battery and can then be used to start the vehicle with the help of the electric motor and to assist the diesel engine. The entire hybrid system includes, in addition to the combustion engine, the electric motor, and the six-speed automatic transmission, a compact lithium-ion battery serving as a high-voltage battery, and an electronic power system for controlling the electric motor and powering the 24 V onboard network from the high-voltage system. This system takes over all functions of a full hybrid system: stop-start function, recovery of energy released during braking, acceleration assistance (boosting), and electric driving. The brain of this system is MAN’s hybrid energy management system, which controls the flow of energy between the diesel engine, the electric motor, the energy capacitor, the drive axle, and auxiliary units. The energy management system thus ensures optimal torque distribution between the diesel engine and the electric motor. At the same time, it also enables the operation of auxiliary units according to current demand. According to MAN, the use of MAN TGL vehicles with a hybrid drive for delivery traffic will allow for a reduction in fuel consumption of up to 15 percent.