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Royal Mail evaluates hybrid MAN L2000

13th February 1997
Page 18
Page 18, 13th February 1997 — Royal Mail evaluates hybrid MAN L2000
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• Royal Mail is to run a diesel/electric version of MAN's L2000 7.5-tonner in a two-year trial starting this Autumn.

The hybrid 8.163F model runs directly off its 155hp diesel engine in normal operation, switching to battery power in pollutionsensitive urban areas.

Heavy-duty conventional batteries are charged by the diesel to give the vehicle a "zero-pollution" range of 20km driven by a 40hp asynchro nous electric motor. An earlier prototype, based in Germany, was fitted with a Voith automatic transmission; this has been replaced with a ZF five speed synchromesh unit. The batteries and motor add considerable weight, but the Royal Mail truck—with Marshall SPV bodywork and a Ratcliffe tail lift—has a net payload of around 2.2 tonnes.

C All MAN L2000 models built for the UK since January come with disc brakes on all wheels. Four-wheel discs were introduced at the Hanover show last September for left-hand drive models.

MAN claims the all-disc installation gives improved braking performance and reduced service downtime. Disc brakes are better able to shed the heat built up during braking than drums, so they perform better under prolonged braking.

Disc pads can also be changed more quickly than drum shoes, meaning less time in the workshop.

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