NEFTON (Commercial vehicle electrification for transport sector optimised grid connection), a research initiative supported by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection, has been launched to analyse and design a transport system consisting of a fully electric truck, charging station and grid connection. 

The common goal of the project partners is to conduct holistic research into the operation of heavy goods transport based on a battery-electric truck as a solution to current and future challenges by 2024. 

“In order to be able to map the increasing mileage in freight transport and at the same time realise the planned reduction in emissions in transport, we at MAN Truck & Bus are clearly focusing on battery-electric drive. NEFTON is taking us significant steps forward on the way to the megawatt charging infrastructure and maximum charging power required for this,” says Dr Frederik Zohm, Executive Board Member for Research and Development at MAN Truck & Bus.

Charging currents of 3,000A will be tested, allowing a fully charged electric truck to be ready in 15 minutes. To that goal, the Technical University of Munich, in collaboration with MAN Truck & Bus and the Technical University of Deggendorf, is developing new ideas with charging capabilities of up to 3 megawatts, which will also be evaluated on test rigs.