MAN delivers first electric eTGX truck in France

The Jacky Perrenot Group, one of the most prominent French transporters with over 10,000 employees, received France’s first electric MAN eTGX. The group has ordered 40 electric trucks from MAN and has the option to expand the fleet to 100 tractor and chassis units.

MAN unveiled its long-range electric truck, eTGX, at the end of 2023. It competes with the Mercedes eActros 600, the Volvo FH Electric, and the Renault Trucks E-Tech T.

The German manufacturer initially promised an 800-km range, but that included a charging stop during the mandatory driver break. The trucks can do around 500 km on a single charge, with CCS (up to 375 kW) and MCS charging (up to 750 kW initially) available.

In operation since January 2025

Now, MAN’s electric truck is slowly starting to reach customers. According to the manufacturer, over 100 pre-series MAN eTrucks have collectively covered around 800,000 km in customer operations across Germany, Austria, Belgium, and the Netherlands since January 2025.

According to MAN, the average energy consumption of these trucks was 104 kWh/100 km, which amounts to a real-world range of around 460 km in wintry conditions if we take the most extensive battery configuration of 480 kWh.

Up to 100 units on order

The Jacky Perrenot Group first ordered its electric MAN trucks in March 2024. The French transport group placed a firm order for 40 units, 35 MAN eTGX tractor units, and five eTGS chassis, with an option for an additional 60 vehicles, bringing the total to 100 electric MAN trucks.

Now, the first truck has arrived, making it the first electric MAN to hit the roads in France. However, this first unit is still part of a pre-series run meant to have real-world customers test the vehicles before the start of mass production this summer.

CEO Vlaskamp asks Germany and the EU to review e-truck policies

According to MAN CEO Alexander Vlaskamp, in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine, MAN has around 2,800 “orders and requests” for electric trucks out of a total yearly production of 60,000 to 85,000.

He also deplores Germany’s policy toward electrifying the truck market: “Germany is the most important truck market in Europe, and unfortunately, subsidies for purchasing trucks with alternative drive systems were discontinued there in 2023.”

Not only were subsidies for the purchase of electric trucks eliminated but toll fees for all diesel trucks on highways and major federal highways in Germany were also doubled.

“We’re not calling for a purchase premium forever, but eliminating this subsidy overnight during the initial ramp-up was unwise. And at the same time, depriving freight transporters of capital for investments in future technologies by doubling the toll fees is a real blunder.”

However, it is not only Germany that makes life difficult for truckmakers: “The EU and the outgoing German government have created a labyrinth of rules with far too high penalties for truck manufacturers.”

“Ultimately, from 2026 onward, every gram of deviation [from the CO2 fleet limits] will cost tens of millions of euros, and from 2030 onward, a three-digit figure. It’s good that there seems to be political will to change this.”