Do you have more details about the electrification of the MAN range?
The most important strategic measure to save CO2 is the electrification of the MAN fleet – a transformation that has already begun. By the end of the decade, at least half of the vehicles we sell in the EU will be electric. Since the market launch of the MAN Lion’s City E fully electric city bus in 2020, delivery contracts have already been signed for more than 1000 units. We will also be starting production of electric HGVs in early 2024. These E-trucks will meet the technical requirements for a daily range of 600 to 800 kilometres. MAN is also working with partners to develop a hydrogen truck.
What is MAN’s approach to production of these electric vehicles?
We are making our production more flexible and building our future heavy eTruck on a production line with conventional vehicles, so that we can produce electrified or diesel-powered trucks for our customers, depending on their wishes. Our new eTruck will cover all areas of application when production starts, whether for regional distribution of organic milk or long-distance transport of green steel. We accompany our customers in the changeover to e-mobility as closely as possible based on our many years of expertise in the field of e-buses and e-vans as well as our electric eTGM in distribution transport.
Can you tell us more about your battery production plant in Nuremberg, Germany?
It is a ground breaking location a long-term investment decision, and part of MAN’s transformation into a provider of sustainable transport solutions. This now paves the way for a commercial vehicle e-cluster, consisting of the production of e-trucks at MAN in Munich, battery production in Nuremberg, research and development at both locations and excellent cooperation with the respective colleges, universities and institutes, parties involved from the employer and employee sides as well as politics.
Tell us about MAN’s plans for electric vehicle charging?
At MAN we have a joint venture under the umbrella of Traton together with Scania, Volvo Group and Daimler Group. This is about investing in a joint venture to build up over the next five years 1,700 charging locations around the main roads in Europe. However, we need the electricity flowing in at the logistics depots and at the various charging stations along the highway, and this is where we call for more action from politicians to make sure that we are paving the way for electrifying the highways.
We need political support to do this faster, to break down bureaucracy and make sure we are getting the green electricity from wind turbines and solar power along the highways into the trucks. Right now, this is the biggest challenge to tackle and we urge the politicians to step up.
MAN has the buses as well as the truck range in place, and we are investing in charging locations.
Alexander Vlaskamp, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus
