09
March
2021
|
12:17
Europe/Amsterdam

To boldly go, where no van has gone before

Summary

MAN Truck & Bus has unveiled a van in Austria for previously unthinkable operations. The TGE 3.180 4x4 combi van is equipped with special caterpillar drive. This enables it to drive over snow-covered slopes or muddy meadows even in winter, for example to reach alpine pastures, hotels or ski lifts.

"You glide along on the snow, it's fabulous," says Martin Zeller, branch manager of MAN Truck & Bus in Innsbruck, describing his experience with the TGE converted to track drive. The MAN service company he manages has made a reality of converting a normal road transporter into an off-road wonder. "TrackSystems - the developer and manufacturer of the track conversion kit - is also based in Tyrol, and together we wanted to show that this unusual combination works with the MAN TGE," Zeller says. The initiative for the conversion came from the two van salesmen in the Austrian state of Tyrol: Thomas Kofler and Fabian Bonora. What has emerged amazes everyone who sees the vehicle. A broad grin is pre-programmed.

The high-terrain transporter can be used, for example, by ski lift operators in mountainous regions. Since it is a TGE combi van with a total of 8 seats plus a driver's seat, the transporter can transport people as well as goods. Supplying remote alpine pastures even in winter or comfortably transporting guests to their snow-covered alpine hotel becomes possible with the tracked TGE. The conversion can be applied to the entire range of vans, so it can also be used, for example, to equip a panel van or a double cab with a flatbed.

The amazing thing: Conversion to the caterpillar drive takes not more than an hour. The assembly or disassembly is done like a wheel change, it is not necessary to visit a special workshop. An adapter plate, which is fixed with the original wheel bolts, establishes the connection to the axles. The simple conversion also makes it possible to use the van all year round if it’s required: Caterpillar drive in winter, tires in summer. The additional weight compared with the regular equipment with tires is approximately 300 kilograms. The width of the TGE increases to 2.40 meters.

Off-road, the caterpillar drive manages 25 to 50 km/h and is usually in 1st to 3rd gear of the 8-speed automatic transmission recommended for this application. Thanks to the Seikel chassis, which is raised by around 3 cm, the Innsbruck crawler transporter also has sufficient ground clearance to perform its tasks in extreme terrain. The caterpillar drive is braked by the standard disc brakes; no adjustment is required here. However, the converted caterpillar TGE is not allowed to drive on the road, for which it then needs its tires back.

 

Boilerplate

The vehicles and products displayed on this website may differ in terms of shape, design, colour and scope of supply. Some of the images may include special equipment, accessories and decorative elements which are subject to an additional charge. The technical features and equipment of the vehicles described are merely examples and may differ, in particular on a country-specific basis. We reserve the right to make changes at any time.

Our vehicles are equipped with summer tyres as standard. Please check possible national regulations about whether winter tyres are required. Your MAN partner will be happy to advise you.

The specified fuel consumption and emission data has been determined according to the measurement procedures prescribed by law. Since 1st September 2017, certain new vehicles are already being type-approved according to the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP), a more realistic test procedure for measuring fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. It is currently still required by law to state the NEDC figures for vehicles for passenger transport with registration class M1. In the case of new vehicles which have been type-approved according to the WLTP, the NEDC figures are derived from the WLTP data. In cases where the NEDC figures are specified as value ranges, these do not refer to a particular individual vehicle and do not constitute part of the sales offering.

Additional equipment and accessories (e.g. add-on parts, different tyre formats, etc.) may change the relevant vehicle parameters, such as weight, rolling resistance and aerodynamics, and, in conjunction with weather and traffic conditions and individual driving style, may affect fuel consumption, electrical power consumption, CO2 emissions and the performance figures for the vehicle.

Efficiency classes rate vehicles for passenger transport with an M1 passenger vehicle registration, according to the CO2 emissions under consideration of the empty vehicle weight. Vehicles which conform to the average are classified as D. Vehicles which are above the current average are classified as A+, A, B or C. Vehicles which are below average are classified as E, F or G.

Additional information regarding the official fuel consumption, and the official specific CO2 emissions of new vehicles for passenger transport, with an M1 passenger vehicle registration, can be found in the “Guide on the fuel economy, CO2-Emissions, and power consumptions of all New Passenger Car Models”. This guideline is available free of charge at all sales points and from the DAT Deutsche Automobil Treuhand GmbH, Hellmuth-Hirth-Str. 1, 73760 Ostfildern-Scharnhausen, Germany. (https://www.datgroup.com/)

In vehicle classes N1, N2 and M2, coolant of the type R134a is used. MAN TGEs of vehicle class M1 require coolant of the type R1234yf. The GWP value of the coolant used is 1.430 (coolant type R134a) and 4 (coolant type R1234yf). The fill levels depend on the coolant compressor and varies between 560 - 590 grams.