Mahle unveils range extender for battery-electric trucks
Mahle will present a new range-extender system for heavy-duty trucks at IAA Transportation in September. It can be installed in battery-electric trucks, effectively turning them into plug-in hybrids. The range extender consists of a high-voltage generator combined with a compact internal combustion engine.
Mahle has unveiled its range-extender system for heavy-duty battery-electric trucks, describing it as a world first that visitors can see at the IAA Transportation in Hanover (15–20 September 2026). The Stuttgart-based supplier states that the on-board generator will enable battery-electric trucks to “cover all daily ranges required” in the future, completely eliminating range anxiety among logistics providers. As Dr Marco Warth, Head of Corporate Development at Mahle, explained: “Our range extender is a smart “emergency power unit” that is activated at precisely the right moment and significantly increases the range available.”
For context: trucks equipped with this system are known as EREVs, or Extended Range Electric Vehicles. This term has primarily been used in the Chinese passenger car market to date. EREVs are partially electrified vehicles that can be charged externally with electricity and refuelled with fuel – similar to plug-in hybrids. However, unlike plug-in hybrids, the wheels in EREVs are always driven solely by the electric motor. When the batteries are depleted, a small internal combustion engine on board starts up and generates electricity for the motor. This combustion-engine generator is technically referred to as a range extender. Such systems are rare in trucks, but one notable field trial has taken place: DHL and Scania recently tested the technology (link in German).
Range extender fits into battery installation space
Mahle’s system is designed as follows: a high-voltage generator with a continuous output of 110 kW and a peak output of 130 kW is driven by a compact internal combustion engine. This, in turn, supplies energy to the electric powertrain on demanding routes and when trucks are fully loaded. According to Mahle, the architecture of the range extender can be easily adapted to the specific power requirements of various applications and regional markets.
The supplier describes its range-extender system as a self-contained unit that integrates the generator, internal combustion engine, thermal and fluid management, fuel tank, AdBlue tank, and exhaust aftertreatment in a compact enclosure. Thanks to an innovative oil-cooling system, the generator is said to achieve a power density of over 7 kW per kilogramme.
The range-extender unit is installed in the space originally designated for the battery, which consequently becomes smaller. In other words, part of the battery pack is replaced – not to reduce the purely battery-electric range, but to accommodate a combustion-based range extender. In combination with the remaining batteries, this promises a greater overall range. However, this also logically results in higher CO₂ emissions – though still lower than those of a diesel truck.
Mahle promises over 800km of range
According to Mahle, its system replaces approximately one-third of the existing battery capacity of a battery-electric truck. “The system replaces about one-third of the present battery capacity of a battery-electric truck, allowing the truck to be equipped with a smaller battery. As a result, the rear axle load is reduced by about 400 kg and the total vehicle weight by about 600 kg,” the company stated. “All in all, a range extender BEV truck can reach a total range of more than 800 km, with the battery providing about 400 km and the range extender the remaining 400 km.”
Mahle also provided an assessment of the subsequent CO₂ emissions: “In range extender operation than a truck with a conventional drive system. If the internal combustion engine, which is biofuel-ready thanks to MAHLE components, is operated with renewable fuels such as the advanced HVO100 bio-diesel, the truck has virtually zero CO2 emissions.” A thermal management system with 48 kW high-temperature and 15 kW low-temperature cooling capacity is designed to ensure stable operation under heavy-duty conditions.
“Our range extender is the key to disconnecting the market ramp-up of battery-electric trucks from the inadequate pace of infrastructure development,” Marco Warth asserts. “If the charging station is busy, or alternative routes are called for as a result of weather conditions or congestion and infrastructure reaches its limits, other fleets can be stranded; an e-truck with range extender just carries on. Operational availability is maintained, even under peak conditions.”
Mahle’s management emphasises that the range-extender system represents a pathway to transition more quickly from the diesel trucks that still dominate transport companies today to battery-electric trucks. “Time and energy are limited, valuable resources, especially in road transport business; only operators who work economically can survive. With electrification products, MAHLE can help make heavy trucks more efficient and flexible at the same time as reducing operating expenses,” says Arnd Franz, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Mahle.
Mahle expands supply to Chinese manufacturers
Franz notes that Mahle is not only gaining traction with its electrification products for trucks among local manufacturers but is also expanding its presence among Chinese commercial vehicle manufacturers, who are increasingly entering the European market with battery-electric trucks. However, the Mahle CEO does not name names. It is clear, though, that at least three Chinese battery-electric truck manufacturers – Sany, SuperPanther, and Windrose – aim to establish a foothold in Europe this year.
At the IAA Transportation in Hanover, Mahle plans to not only showcase products for battery-electric trucks and hybrids but also technologies for the use of renewable fuels to decarbonise road freight transport. As another e-mobility innovation, the Stuttgart-based company will unveil a new electric motor. The unit, named the Mahle Contactless Transmitter (MCT) E-Motor, is designed for use in electric drive axles of heavy-duty commercial vehicles. It operates without rare-earth magnets and delivers a peak output of 370 kW and a torque of over 900 Nm at 3,900 rpm (revolutions per minute). Mahle states its motor efficiency at 95 per cent according to the VECTO cycle.
In general, medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicles account for around 20 percent of Mahle’s business with automotive manufacturers. According to the company, it benefits “development and production network in all major markets but also from its broadly diversified customer portfolio.” Mahle collaborates with over 120 customers in the commercial vehicle and off-road sectors. The company states that order intake for the first half of 2026 in the commercial vehicle business – just like in the passenger car sector – is significantly above the previous year’s period. “We expect that we will grow more strongly than the market with our commercial vehicle products over the next five years,” said Arnd Franz, adding that Mahle sees the greatest growth potential in Asia.