The MAN eTGE – which was first shown to the public at the 2022 IAA Transportation exhibition in Hannover, Germany – is even equipped with LED cabinet lighting, mirrors and towels – in bright pink.
Place pic of FIRST TGE here
MAN TGE: basis for the Beauty Truck
MAN’s TGE – a van with a permitted total weight of 3.0 to 5.5 tonnes based on the Volkswagen Crafter – was launched back in 2017 (production started in April of that year). It made its debut with engines ranging from 75 to 130 kW and it impressed operators with its low cW value of 0.33, the lowest fuel consumption in its class, low repair and maintenance costs, and an outstanding total cost of ownership (TCO).
In October 2018, the 10,000th MAN TGE was sold – to a German company called Splendid Drinks Deutschland GmbH.
Place pic of ETGE HERE
eTGE comes to town
That same year, MAN launched a fully electric van known as the eTGE, which came with a range of up to 160 kilometres and a payload of 950 to 1,700 kilograms.
At the time, the company noted that around 70% of light commercial vehicles used in urban areas travel fewer than 100 kilometres per day on average. The average speed reached during this is low. With this in mind, the vehicle’s theoretical range of up to 160 kilometres covers about three-quarters of all urban-core transport. Sooner or later, as with mobile phones, it will be completely normal to plug a fully electric vehicle in to charge for the coming day – usually overnight, a press statement by MAN pointed out.
Charging times for the eTGE vary. A 40 kW charging station fills a battery up to 80% in 45 minutes. The MAN eTGE can be restored to full operational capacity after just under five and a half hours on an alternating current wall box. And about nine hours are needed for a full charge with 220V AC.
The electric front-wheel drive TGE produces 100 kW of power and 290 Nm of torque, and it can do a maximum speed of 90 km/h, resulting in fuel consumption of around 20 kWh per 100 kilometres.
Like its internal combustion engine sibling, the eTGE has been a massive success. It’s been ordered by all sorts of transport operators – and it is working in numerous applications. It’s even been immortalised on a postage stamp by Österreichische Post!
A new role
And now the eTGE has found a brand new role: that of hairdressing salon. The Bott Group – a leading manufacturer and supplier of workshop equipment, in-vehicle equipment and workplace systems with production facilities in Germany, the United Kingdom and Hungary – has taken one of these vans and converted it into a super-cool mobile salon called the Beauty Truck.
Michael Kyburz, Content Marketing Executive at Bott, explains that Beauty Truck concept is an attempt to tackle demographic change. “It can be difficult for older and physically handicapped people to visit a regular hairdresser. This is especially the case in rural small villages and hamlets that don’t have a local hairdresser (anymore) – a problem that has arisen from ongoing urbanisation. With trucks like this, the quality of life of those people can be improved. We have already implemented conversions like this one in the past. There aren’t many trucks like this yet, but we notice growing interest and demand,“ he explains.
This particular Beauty Truck was designed with exhibitions in mind. “It has show car features like special materials and extensive lighting, that usually aren’t required in customer projects. This is why we don’t think the costs for this conversion are really representative,“ notes Kyburz.
Fab features
So, what special features does the Beauty Truck have?
The vehicle is equipped with:
- External power supply via a 230-volt cable
- Power sockets for 230 volts (to supply power to hair dryers, hair trimmers etc)
- USB socket for smartphones etc
- LED cabinet lighting
- LED room lighting
- TV and radio with speakers
- Mirrors and natural stone dressing table
- Various drawers, lockers and storage compartments for hairdressing equipment, towels etc
- A small sink
- A 30-litre fresh water tank and an additional water tank for wastewater
The end result is a portable hairdressing salon that is quiet, stylish, environmentally friendly and super cool too. What a win!
