The world’s first electrically powered and armoured money transporter was handed over to the international security service provider Prosegur at the beginning of August. The MAN eTGE electric van, which was converted into a money transporter by STOOF, will be put through its paces straight away during Prosegur’s daily cash-in-transit operations.
In the logistics industry, environmental protection and sustainability are key measures of a company’s future viability, as is the case in many industries. The best example of this: At the beginning of August, an MAN eTGE with special-purpose armouring from the body manufacturer STOOF was handed over to the money and valuables transportation company Prosegur at STOOF’s company premises in Borkheide near Potsdam. The new member of the Prosegur vehicle fleet is the first fully electric, armoured money transportation vehicle in the world. “Given the fact that our Group safely transports the equivalent of 550 billion euros every year using all modes of transportation, it is of vital importance that we embrace our role as a driver of innovation at all times and also bear responsibility for doing business in a sustainable manner,” says Jochen Werne, Chief Development Officer at Prosegur Deutschland.
The MAN TGE 3.140 E panel van, which will head straight out onto the roads around Potsdam for Prosegur, was fitted with level FB3 armouring by STOOF International. The body manufacturer was faced with the challenge of using extremely lightweight materials that have the same resistance class. The electric van can seat a maximum of three people. Including the armouring, its unladen weight is around 3,150 kg.
Prosegur has close to 900 vehicles on the road throughout Germany, both for interregional transportation and inner-city operations. When it comes to inner-city operations, the vehicles only ever cover short distances; typically 60 to 70 kilometres a day. With a range of 120 to 130 kilometres (115 km according to the current WLTP cycle) in a real-life city setting, the range of the eTGE is more than adequate. And it’s during inner-city money transportation operations that the driver can take full advantage of the MAN eTGE’s extensive safety features. The MAN eTGE has a parking assistance system with side protection, a rear-view camera, a speed control system, a periphery monitoring system with a city emergency braking function, Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) and LED headlights.
Prosegur is now putting the electric vehicle through testing. One challenge that the company will face in day-to-day business is the payload. The vehicle load capacity is restricted by the compulsory safety armouring used in the money and valuables transportation industry. But that does not put the Chief Development Officer of Prosegur Deutschland off: “Transformation can be achieved even in complex conditions,” says Jochen Werne, assuredly. “We are confident that our ecological and economic goals are compatible.” If the test phase is successful, Prosegur intends to acquire more vehicles with an electric drive.
SOURCE: MAN Truck & Bus
