The TGE range welcomes a raft of upgrades and revisions to further appeal to fleets, says John Kendall.
The 100,000th MAN TGE van recently rolled off MAN’s production line in the Polish town of Wrzesnia, following six years of production. At the same time, MAN has announced a range of upgrades and revisions to the TGE range.
These include a rear-wheel drive model with single tyres on the rear axle with gross vehicle weights up to 5.0 tonnes and a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission. With this model, MAN will be targeting the conversions market, because rear-wheel-drive is better suited to these models which tend to operate with more weight over the rear axle. Some 30% of TGE sales are currently converted vehicles. Factory conversions for the TGE include tipper and box bodies and combi bodies for passenger conversions. Rack extensions for workshop trolleys can also be provided to order. Two minibus conversions are available with capacity for up to 19 passengers.
MAN will also introduce a chassis cowl with flat-topped frame for the conversions market. This will feature two-bag rear air suspension and a wide track axle for 3.5-tonne GVW models.
New electronic architecture
Among a range of vehicle modifications will be a new electronic architecture for the TGE, introducing new sensors and control systems. This will be accompanied by a new dashboard for the 2025 model year with all-digital instruments. Other changes will include a new steering wheel and new assistance systems. These will include more accurate traffic sign recognition and a fatigue system which will provide warnings to the driver and monitor driver attention levels.
Digital enhancements will include improved cybersecurity designed to prevent hacking. Over-the-air software updates are also planned. There will be a new driver app, designed to extend functionality for models equipped with tachographs. It will include a feature enabling the driver to scan the vehicle controls with a smartphone camera, which will then provide information about them.
MAN plans to introduce Fuel and Go, a new mobile fuelling app, by the end of this year that will enable drivers to pay for fuel directly from the app, with SimplePay as a partner. It will be available with all MAN TGE models, providing a fleet manager dashboard. The SimplePay portal will include MAN’s Fuel and Go. Currently BP is a UK partner for Fuel and Go. Further functions are planned, including payment for tolls and others that will be added as they become available.
The current battery electric eTGE will be phased out next year, with the end of production scheduled for May 2024. A second-generation eTGE will then replace the current model. No further details are yet available. There will also be further diesel engine tweaks in time for the EU 7 Light Duty emissions legislation that will take effect in 2025.
Light and heavy duty
These are partly driven by the requirements of WLTP emissions testing. WLTP requirements have caused MAN to revise its TGE Light and Heavy Duty ranges.
Effectively, this means that the only models homologated under Light Duty regulations will be front-wheel drive and 4×4 models. FWD standard panel vans and conversions will retain Light Duty status. This would not prevent these models from being classified as Heavy Duty, provided they have the correct Reference Mass (RVM). The advantage is that, in general, Heavy Duty models face less stringent fuel consumption and emissions homologation requirements.
The new rear-wheel drive single rear wheel models will all be classified as Heavy Duty, which means they must have a Reference Mass (RVM) greater than 2,355kg. Five-tonne GVW models will also be classified as Heavy Duty but would need a RVM of at least 2,585kg. Box van conversions would also need the correct wind deflector for Heavy Duty classification. MAN TGE dealers would be able to guide van customers through the relevant requirements.
