MAN Truck & Bus and ABB E-mobility said they have completed new validation tests of the Megawatt Charging System (MCS), including a successful trial that charged a nearly empty 480 kWh truck battery to 90% in 36 minutes.
The three-day tests, conducted in Munich, examined system communication, power ripple, safety shutdowns and extended high-current charging. The partners reported that a MAN eTruck charged at nearly 750 kW and 1,000 amps, while emergency tests showed current dropped from 1,000 to zero amps in under three milliseconds.
“As we move toward a larger scale deployment of electric trucks, these tests are not just about validation,” said Christopher Thompson, Head of Product and Portfolio Marketing at ABB E-mobility. “They are about building trust: trust that a truck will charge efficiently, safely and without losing time.”
MAN’s Marcel Hessel, responsible for charging systems and components, added: “For our customers, downtime is not an option. That test proved that MCS technology is ready to deliver the performance needed – and also meet our shared commitment to highest safety standards.”
The companies also ran a continuous three-and-a-half-hour session to test stability, during which charging pins remained below 55°C, well under the 90°C standard limit. MAN and ABB earlier this year tested MCS charging with Ethernet-based communication as defined by ISO 15118-20 and ISO 15118-10 standards, replacing older CCS-based protocols.
MCS technology, still undergoing international standardisation through industry body CharIN, is designed for up to 1,250 volts and 3,000 amps, with theoretical capacity of 3.75 MW. ABB and MAN have previously demonstrated charging power of up to 1.2 MW in long-term trials.