The IAA Transportation in Hannover shows how quickly electric trucks are shifting gears: beyond regional deliveries into long-haul and even heavy transport. European manufacturers are pushing range and payload, but Chinese – and one famous American – newcomers are turning the technological race into a commercial battle.
Change in the making
Electric trucks have been struggling for some time now to do long-haul and beat diesel whilst trying. But at this year’s IAA Transportation, a change is in the making.
Volvo, MAN and Scania have all unveiled electric tractor units capable of 700 kilometres or more on a single charge, lifting battery-powered heavy transport to diesel parity.
At the same time the show also revealed how electrification is paving the way for newcomers from the East. After Windrose fellow Chinese brands are venturing into European territory. We list the most important entrants from the IAA.
Something special
The first European manufacturer to move a 700 km-range electric truck from press release to production line is Volvo Trucks.
After two years of announcing the FH Aero Electric, the long hauler finally hits production at Tuve in Sweden. At the IAA, the FH Electric secured the Truck of the Year Award for the second time.
Packaged around a new e-axle, which frees up chassis space, 725 kWh usable battery capacity is available. The previously announced 600-km range has been lifted to 700 kilometres. Volvo’s plant in Ghent, Belgium, is also building the new generation.
80 tonnes, still electric
Much more unusual in the long-haul category is the 80-tonnes model from Volvo Trucks. It features a combination of an electric rigid truck and trailer rated for gross weights up to – you guessed it – 80 tonnes. It reaches 450 kilometers.
This is a niche product, but it proves a point: electrification is no longer confined to urban distribution and easy to manage regional routes.
For context, 80 tonnes is nearly double Belgium’s standard 44-tonne limit for domestic applications (40 tonne for crossborder). Even in the Nordic countries, where Volvo plans to sell this e-truck for the time being, special permits are needed.
New batteries at MAN
At IAA, MAN unveiled its new eTGX with similar autonomy derived from a subtly different philosophy.
Rather than simply stuffing in more cells, MAN deployed a new battery generation that squeezes 92 kWh gross and 88 kWh net from each pack – up from 89 and 80 kWh previously.
A seventh pack can now fit on a 6×2 tractor unit, bringing total net capacity to 616 kWh and maximum range to 720 kilometres. MAN is careful to qualify that “over 600 kilometres” is the realistic daily figure, underlining how manufacturer range claims should be dealt with caution.
Behind the cab
Scania, meanwhile, solved the capacity puzzle by putting battery cells where nobody else does: behind the cab. Two strategically placed packs add roughly 356 kWh of installed capacity to the existing chassis and under-cab modules, also enabling a 720 km claim.
Combined with the extended front design, which cuts energy consumption by up to 3 per cent, Scania is betting on aerodynamics and clever packaging rather than the additional weight of more cells.
All three of the above-mentioned truck makers now offer megawatt charging, with Scania joining the adoption. MAN and Volvo quote maximums around 750 kW.
So, the hardware is being put in place, but as always, the network lags behind. In the EU, a few dozen public MCS plugs exist today (42 across the EU), a few hundred are coming by 2027 (284 stations).
If the Swedish and German makers were trumping their horns, DAF approached the show with a less loud strategy.
Introducing a new battery configuration, the Dutch heavy-duty builder places four packs at the rear of the truck, reducing front-axle load by approximately 700 kilograms and increasing payload capacity by nearly 2.5 tonnes. DAF also added electric 6×4 and 8×4 models for construction companies.
Partycrashers from China
For all the European advances, the most strategically significant announcements came from China. BYD is entering the European heavy-duty market with the ETT 44, a 44-tonne tractor unit packing 651 kWh of LFP Blade Battery and claiming nearly 600 kilometres of range.
The numbers are competitive, and a usual from BYD, the charging specs are superior.
BYD quotes CCS2 charging at 420 kW, but also MCS at over 1.5 MW. That is nearly double what European rivals are currently offering and in line with the manufacturer’s leading strategy to implement its Flashcharging network across Europe .
A 20-to-80 per cent charge takes 20 minutes, during which BYD claims roughly 400 kilometres of range can be replenished.
Extraordinary service life
Maxus, the SAIC-owned brand better known for vans, brought a 42-tonne tractor to Hanover. The eDeliver 420L has a 615 kWh CATL battery and a 25-minute 20-to-80 per cent charging window.
Maxus failed to announce a range figure but did claim an extraordinary service life of 1.5 million kilometers. And while it’s not a truck we shouldn’t forget to mention its Robovan, a self-driving delivery vehicle (SAE Level 4) for urban logistics. Basically, it’s a rival for the BOW from Stellantis Pro, which was also at the IAA, but with a happier face.
Both BYD and Maxus are undercutting European manufacturers on price – also a familiar playbook from the passenger car market that European truck makers would be foolish to ignore.
The usual suspect
Undoubtedly, the new rules governing electric trucks are reshaping the marketplace, with not only the challenge to cope with long distances, heavy loads and adequate charging infrastructure but also the pressure from dispruptors.
Lest not forget that ‘usual suspect’ Tesla also reserved a booth at the IAA Transportation putting the Semi-truck on display. More details are here.
