MAN’s NEFTON project targets three megawatts of charging

MAN’s 3,000 ampere result moves megawatt charging from a theoretical goal to a test bench reality for commercial vehicles MAN Truck & Bus has achieved a stable charging current of 3,000 amps in the NEFTON project, creating a path to charging capacities of up to three megawatts (MW). Tests at the Technical University of Munich and Fraunhofer ISE in Freiburg show that the technology could enable an electric truck to charge a range of 400 kilometers in 10 to 15 minutes. To achieve 3,000 amps of current, the project team optimized the charging path to reduce electrical resistance; designed liquid cooling for cables, connectors and distribution units. Contactors and closing devices are also designed for high switching capacities while meeting safety requirements. The result marks a significant step forward from the one MW charging milestone demonstrated by MAN eTGX in July 2024. The tests also highlight remaining technical hurdles. Charging capacities well above one MW will require new battery systems designed for high current absorption with optimized cell chemistry, module design and electrical interconnection. Infrastructure adjustments will also be required. The NEFTON consortium consists of MAN Truck & Bus, AVL, Technical University of Munich, Fraunhofer ISE, Prettl Electronics Automotive, Energy Economics Research Center and Deggendorf Institute of Technology, with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. After the completion of the project, Traton Group will move the work to high current charging routes and bi-directional charging applications close to production.

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