The class 152 has been developed for heavy goods traffic, to replace the class 150 step by step. FromDecember 1996, the company Krauss-Maffei, as general contractor, delivered 170 locomotives to theDB AG. Siemens Verkehrstechnik was responsible for the electrical part. Designed as a heavy freightlocomotive, the machine has a continuous power output of 6,400 kW and can run at a maximumpermitted speed of 140 km/h.