MAN Truck & Bus is setting another milestone in the electrification of freight transport with the handover of the first MAN eTruck to the Duvenbeck Group,
The Ultra Low Liner eTGX semitrailer tractor, specially developed for the loading volume requirements of automotive logistics, is set to make Volkswagen plant logistics particularly climate-friendly in the future.
In accordance with the letter of intent (LOI) signed by both parties, Duvenbeck intends to put up to 120 units of the MAN eTGX into service by 2026.
Duvenbeck will deploy the MAN eTruck in various areas of the Rhine-Ruhr and BeNeLux freight forwarding region as part of VW’s plant logistics.
“With the Ultra Low Liner eTruck, MAN has developed a solution that is perfectly tailored to the requirements of the automotive industry. No other series produced electric semitrailer tractor can pull trailers with an interior height of three meters. This makes it the ideal choice for transports with high volume requirements,” explains Friedrich Baumann, Chief Sales & Customer Solutions Officer at MAN Truck & Bus.
“We are delighted to have two strong partners at our side, Duvenbeck and Volkswagen, to bring this innovation to the road.”
The Ultra Low Liner eTruck MAN eTGX features a semitrailer height of just 950 mm, a very short wheelbase of 3.75 meters and a battery that offers a range of around 500 km.
This makes it perfect for use in automotive logistics, where maximum load volume up to three meters in interior height is more important than high load weights.
Thanks to its modular battery concept with a choice of four, five or six battery packs and power levels of 449 and 544 hp, it can be optimally adapted to any transport task.
In addition to the standard CCS charging technology (up to 375 kW), it can also be ordered with the new MCS standard with up to one megawatt charging power, which enables even faster intermediate charging during the driver’s break from driving.
In support of developing skilled heavy-duty truck drivers, Volvo Malaysia Sdn Bhd (Volvo Trucks), has introduced its Volvo Iron Women initiative to Malaysia.
With the support of the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry as strategic partner, Volvo Trucks recently celebrated the inaugural graduation of five women as fully certified heavy-duty truck drivers.
“Volvo Iron Women has enjoyed much success globally and we are very excited to see the opportunities it will unlock with Malaysia as a pioneer of the programme in the Southeast Asia region,” said Volvo Trucks International, Vice President, Johan Selvén.
Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, Yang Berhormat Dato’ Seri Hajah Nancy Shukri, who graced the graduation ceremony, said in her address, “KPWKM’s collaboration with Volvo Trucks through the Iron Women initiative is a shining example of an impactful public-private partnership. I believe we are moving the needle steadily in addressing gender disparities in the workforce.”
Nancy also acknowledged Taipanco Sdn Bhd, who will be employing the first cohort of graduates, for being among the few industry players to recognise the value of women heavy-duty truck drivers as valuable assets to their fleet.
The Ministry stated that it would lend its support to equip the Iron Women graduates with the knowledge and skills to navigate a male-dominated industry, especially with an awareness to recognise and address any form of gender bias harassment with confidence.
This includes endorsing the Volvo Iron Women programme for counselling and training for gender bias harassment, and provision of a hotline for women drivers in need of counselling or advise should the need arise.
The Ministry also stated it would assist in identifying and recommending viable candidates as participants. By integrating a support system for the women, the Ministry hopes to create a seamless and sustainable transition of more women into new economic sectors, especially one traditionally dominated by men.
“Being in the logistics industry for over two decades, we see great potential in the empowerment and participation of women to address the industry’s growing demand for skilled truck drivers,” said Taipanco Sdn Bhd, Executive Director, Dato’ Nazari Akhbar.
The Volvo Iron Women programme is designed to empower candidates from end to end, beginning with the undertaking of lessons and examinations through an authorised driving institution to obtain a Class E license to drive heavy vehicles.
Following a full health evaluation, candidates then progress to the next stage of obtaining a Goods Driving License (GDL) by attending a seven-hour lecture and theory examination, of which all costs will be borne by the employing company. The GDL is divided into three categories, namely light vehicles, heavy vehicles and jointed vehicles. The Volvo Iron Women programme in Malaysia is focused on jointed vehicles.
THE Isuzu Smoother Drive 2024 program, a nation-wide corporate social responsibility (CSR) and truck roadshow initiative which began on 11 March and concluded with a finale event at the Isuzu Service Center in Shah Alam on 29 March recently, has covered a total combined distance of 3,554 kilometers, logged by 11 Isuzu trucks deployed to the whole of Peninsular Malaysia and parts of Sabah and Sarawak to deliver donated items to the underprivileged communities.
The program was organized by Isuzu Malaysia and 23 of its participating dealers covering 26 locations in conjunction with the month of Ramadhan, as a way to give back to the underprivileged communities.
It entailed the dealerships contributing, as well as collecting donated items including daily household goods, non-perishable food and beverage, and clothes from customers, employees and the public.
In Peninsular Malaysia, six trucks that comprised two medium-duty Euro 5 FVR Smoother AMT and four light-duty Euro 4 ELF Smoother AMT were flagged-off from Isuzu Hicom Malaysia (IHM) assembly plant in Pekan, Kuantan on 11 March.
In the course of this 19-day program, the trucks were required to arrive at each participating dealership on a pre-scheduled date, as they travel from one location to another.
Upon reaching at each dealership, the trucks were tasked to pick up all the donated items and deliver them to the various charity homes for underprivileged children, physically-handicapped and seniors in each locality.
Following the delivery of items to the homes, the trucks made their way back to the dealership for an evening event of truck display and ‘buka puasa’ dinner to thank all the customers and public for their support.
The six trucks for Peninsular Malaysia were divided into two teams. The first team of three trucks covered eight Isuzu dealerships spread across the east coast and northern parts of Peninsular Malaysia. These trucks were driven a total of 1,178.9 kilometers in distance and delivered the donated items to 8 charity homes.
The second team of another three trucks made their stops at 10 dealerships scattered in the southern and central parts of Peninsular Malaysia and recorded a travel distance of 929 kilometers to deliver aid to 16 charity homes.
Meanwhile in East Malaysia, five ELF Euro 4 Smoother AMT trucks travelled a total distance of 1,447 kilometers across the landscapes of Sabah and Sarawak to make their stops at seven participating dealerships showroom and delivered the donated items to 7 charity homes.
Shunsuke Okazoe, Chief Executive Officer of Isuzu Malaysia said “We are very pleased to note that the Isuzu Smoother Drive 2024 program has successfully benefitted so many charity homes in Malaysia and that we were able to deploy our newly-launched FVR Smoother AMT and ELF Smoother AMT trucks to serve this good cause. We hope that this initiative has indeed go the distance in helping to ease some burden of the charity homes and uplift the spirit of their beneficiaries in this coming festive season.”
“As Malaysia’s top truck brand, Isuzu is committed to ensuring that our efforts encompass a larger spectrum of creating better life, from continuously delivering customer satisfaction through reliable trucking solutions to enhancing sustainability and making meaningful social impact that can help improve the lives around us.”
He further shared, “In addition to the unwavering support from our dealers and customers whom we would like to extend our sincere thanks, the smooth and on-schedule execution of our “ISUZU Smoother Drive 2024” program was also a huge testament of the reliability and efficiency of our trucks in maintaining great uptime during the whole time traversing on various terrains across long-distance.”
Both the FVR Smoother and ELF Euro 4 truck range were launched in Malaysia early March this year in response to the changing industry and environmental landscape which requires greater efficiency and performance balanced with cleaner emission and better sustainability. In addition, Isuzu Malaysia now offers the complete range of trucks from light-duty to prime mover that are equipped with its Smoother AMT technology.
Malaysia’s Leading Automotive News | ENGEAR ENGLISH
