MAHLE shows Range Extender for electric trucks at IAA Transportation as German transport minister visits
MAHLE presented a compact Range Extender for battery-electric trucks that pushes range past 800 kilometers and cuts CO2 emissions by more than 80 percent versus a diesel truck.
- More than 800 km
- More than 80%
- Virtually none
What Happened
German Federal Transport Minister Steffen Bilger visited MAHLE during the opening tour of IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026 in Hanover on September 15, 2026. CEO Arnd Franz used the visit to present the company's new Range Extender system for battery-electric trucks. The compact unit extends vehicle range to more than 800 kilometers while reducing CO2 emissions by more than 80 percent compared with a conventional diesel truck during operation. When powered by HVO100, MAHLE says the vehicle can operate with virtually no CO2 emissions.
- More than 800 kilometers
- More than 80 percent lower
- Virtually none
“Our Range Extender makes electric mobility in long-haul transport more economical, flexible and practical. This enables transport companies to transition to low-emission drivetrains much faster.”
Franz emphasized that the transformation of road freight transport will only succeed through a technology-neutral approach. Besides battery-electric drivetrains, he said hydrogen, renewable fuels and Range Extenders will play an important role in achieving effective and economically viable CO2 reduction. MAHLE advocates assessing all technologies based on their actual climate impact and designing regulatory frameworks that reflect real-world operating conditions. The company therefore welcomes the fact that the positive contribution of Range Extender vehicles to CO2 reduction is being considered at both European and German level as part of the ongoing development of truck toll regulations.
- Battery-electric drivetrains
- Hydrogen
- Renewable fuels
- Range Extenders
- Arnd Franz, CEO of MAHLE
- Steffen Bilger, German Federal Minister of Transport
- Hildegard Müller, President of the VDA
- Olaf Lies, Minister President of Lower Saxony
- Grant Hendrik Tonne, Minister of Economic Affairs, Transport and Building of Lower Saxony
Why this matters
The system is aimed at long-haul freight operators that need more range and lower emissions before switching drivetrains, which MAHLE says speeds up their transition. The company also wants CO2 rules and truck tolls to judge technologies on real-world climate impact, a debate it says is under way at both German and European level.
Terms in This Story
- Range Extender
- An auxiliary on-board unit that generates electricity to supplement a battery-electric vehicle's stored energy and extend how far it can drive.
- HVO100
- A renewable diesel fuel produced from hydrotreated vegetable oils, usable in place of conventional diesel.
- Technology-neutral
- An approach to policy or engineering that does not favour one technology over another, judging options on their results instead.
- Truck toll
- A charge that haulage operators pay to use a country's roads, often varied according to a vehicle's emissions.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.