MAN are producing extra long vehicles to assist with German government trials of innovative commercial vehicles in 2011.
The test trucks will be 25.25m long. In most EU countries, truck length is currently restricted to 15.5m for semitrailers and 18.75m for drawbars. MAN reckon that by providing extra capacity, longer trucks will be more economical.
Two long trucks from MAN will participate in the national field trials next year, with MAN operating one, and a customer trialling the other.
During the trial telematics systems will record operating data that will be analysed to guage the efficiency of the trucks in terms of fuel consumption and the corresponding reduction in emissions.
Dr Georg Pachta-Reyhofen, chief executive of MAN SE and MAN Nutzfahrzeuge said: “Alternative commercial vehicle concepts not only enable expansion of the transport infrastructure in keeping with demand, they also make an enormously important contribution to increasing the capacity of goods transport by road in an eco-friendly manner.”
