[RavenAvi]

My good friend Rahul caught this unknown EV truck stretching it's legs on the Aurangabad highway under partial camouflage. Upon close inspection, I deduced that it looks very similar to Mahindra & Mahindra's Blazo series of heavy commercial trucks.

What is interesting is the section just behind the driver's cabin and in front of the tipper carriage. It seems like, in all probability, a battery pack.

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

My good friend Rahul caught this unknown EV truck stretching it's legs on the Aurangabad highway under partial camouflage. Upon close inspection, I deduced that it looks very similar to Mahindra & Mahindra's Blazo series of heavy commercial trucks.

What is interesting is the section just behind the driver's cabin and in front of the tipper carriage. It seems like, in all probability, a battery pack.

This is a MAN 31 tonner. Though I'm trying to figure out what the ballast-like box behind the cab is, I am more inclined to believe that this is a conventional ICE powered vehicle since it has the conspicuous air intake and air filter, characteristic of oil burners.



Reference image. Courtesy: in the watermark

[Zappo]

May not be so. I spot a good few differences between the two pictures.

[Rahul Rao]

Originally Posted by silversteed

This is a MAN 31 tonner. Though I'm trying to figure out what the ballast-like box behind the cab is

A masked cab and red number plate show that it is a test vehicle.
During on road tests they load vehicle with 12 Tr on front pair, and 18 tr on rear tandem axles. During track tests they increase to 15 Tr on front pair, and also do a 100% overload test. They have probably kept two containers for load so that they can vary the load on front and rear axles.

Rahul

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by Zappo

May not be so. I spot a good few differences between the two pictures.

It could be CNG or LNG powered, as the box behind the cab suggests the ideal positioning for the tanks - a configuration seen in some Chinese and American trucks like Freightliner.

MAN has only started testing their EVs in Germany, for distribution use. An EV for tipper application is quite some time away, and especially so in India.

Originally Posted by Rahul Rao

During on road tests they load vehicle with 12 Tr on front pair, and 18 tr on rear tandem axles. During track tests they increase to 15 Tr on front pair, and also do a 100% overload test. They have probably kept two containers for load so that they can vary the load on front and rear axles.

Quite possible. But at the same time, the diesel tank is missing from the usual location.

[djoel99]

I don't see any exhaust pipe from spied pic. It must be EV.