MAN is offering more a practical solution to business owners with the new eTGE Combi. Presented online prior to its 2019 Bus World debut set for next week in Brussels, Belgium, it’s a passenger version of the panel van that was launched last year, with Volkswagen Crafter underpinnings and electric power.

As we already knew, the eTGE Combi will not be offered to private buyers as a Mercedes-Benz EQV alternative that’s easier on the wallet. Instead, it will target business owners who need zero-emission shuttle buses, as it’s aimed at “inner-city passenger transportation in particular”.

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The only visual updates that set it apart from the regular eTGE are the body-colored bumpers and rear windows. Sliding the side door backwards reveals a practical interior, with room for up to nine occupants and seats fixed using airline-style rails. The 5,986mm (19.6 ft) long Combi comes with a reversing camera, cruise control with speed limiter, automatic emergency braking and heated seats on all rows. As an option, MAN can fit it with a wheelchair lift in the rear.

The 100 kW (136 PS / 134 hp) and 290 Nm (214 lb-ft) of torque electric motor mounted at the front is carried over from the panel van, together with the 35.8 kWh lithium-ion battery. Charging it takes 5.5 hours using a 7.2 kW AC wallbox and 45 minutes from 0 to 80 percent at a 40 kW fast charging station. In the WLTP test cycle, the eTGE Combi has a range identical to the cargo hauler, which at 114 km (71 miles), is rather low.

Aimed at the public transportation network in rural areas, the new MAN TGE 4×4 Intercity will also be on deck at Bus World, along with the TGE City minibus.