Mahle presented a diesel range extender for electric trucks, offering 800 km of range at the expense of the simplicity of an EV.
Mahle has announced a modular range extender for electric trucks, designed to fill the space typically occupied by several battery modules. The manufacturer claims a total range of over 800 km, with around 400 km provided by the battery and another 400 km contributed by a generator powered by a small diesel engine.
This solution is set to make its public debut at the IAA Transportation in Hanover from September 15-20. For some fleets, it could represent a viable pathway to electrification, albeit one with an exhaust pipe.
What Mahle includes in one module
The new Mahle unit is not just a combustion engine. A compact diesel engine, generator, fuel tank, AdBlue tank, exhaust purification system, as well as cooling and fluid handling components are all housed in a single enclosure. The company states that the entire system can be integrated into an existing electric truck quite easily, replacing the battery pack.
The price for this trick is obvious: the EV becomes a significantly more complex design. Part of the simplicity advantage that currently sets battery trucks apart from conventional diesel trucks is lost.
Mahle assumes that by removing about 1/3 of the battery’s capacity, the load on the rear axle can be reduced by around 400 kg, and the overall vehicle weight by about 600 kg. This is expected to result in a higher payload. In logistics, this is a stronger argument than marketing claims about “flexibility”.
110-130 kW from the generator and 80% less CO2, but with a catch
The generator does not drive the wheels mechanically. It supplies 110-130 kW of power to the electrical system, thereby maintaining motion. Mahle adds that the system does not use rare earth metals.
The manufacturer also adds the argument regarding emissions. If the diesel engine runs on HVO100 biofuel, CO2 emissions are said to be “practically zero” according to the company. This sounds good on a slide. In normal operation with regular fuel, Mahle claims approximately 80% lower CO2 emissions compared to a conventional diesel truck.
A fairly honest operational argument was also presented. Marco Warth from Mahle, responsible for research and development, stated that the range extender aims to decouple the adoption of electric trucks from the slow progress of infrastructure development. If a charger is busy, or if the route is extended due to weather or traffic jams, a truck equipped with such a module can simply keep moving forward.
This is where it gets to the core. It’s not a direct competitor to the Tesla Semi or eActros 600 in its pure form, but rather a solution for a market that still lacks sufficient charging infrastructure and power for long-haul routes. Effective? Probably yes. Elegant from an electric mobility perspective? Less so.
If Mahle can deliver easy installation and reasonable costs, some fleets might opt for this compromise sooner than going with a large battery and waiting for MCS. Question for you: is a larger battery better in a truck today, or is a diesel range extender still the better choice?
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