The production of battery-powered trucks has been given a boost with the official opening of the Man eMobility Center in Munich, Germany last week.
MAN chief executive Andreas Tostmann opened the doors of the new MAN eMobility Center on 9 June.
“Electromobility is the key technology for commercial vehicle transport of the future. MAN is driving this progress forward together with our customers,” he said.
“With the opening of the MAN eMobility Center in Munich, we are giving the starting signal to also go into series production with electric trucks in the future.
Tostmann said the switch from the combustion engine to alternative drives is an extremely important part of the company’s consistent reorientation.
“The EU requires a CO2 reduction of 30% for trucks over 16 tons by 2030 compared to current levels. We have resolved not only to react to this. We see this as an opportunity to assume social responsibility and to act in a sustainable manner in the long term,” he said.
“With the eMobility Center, MAN is taking another big step towards jobs of the future and CO2-free mobility.”
E-mobility is becoming increasingly popular in the transportation sector and in passenger transport. While public transport companies in particular are already electrifying their bus fleets on a large scale, battery-powered trucks for distribution and long-haul transport have not become as prominent on the market over the same period of time, which is partly down to a lack of funding initiatives and essential commercial incentives.
MAN expects the demand from transportation companies for electric trucks with zero local emissions to grow in the near future – partly due to climate policy requirements and CO2 pricing, but also due to the fact that it is becoming increasingly cost-effective to run electric vehicles.
The battery-powered MAN Lion’s City E city bus and the fully electric MAN eTGE van are already in widespread use on the market as series production vehicles. The first electric truck – the MAN eTGM – has only been delivered to customers throughout Europe in small batches thus far.
Bavaria’s Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger said this is set to change in the foreseeable future.
“Electromobility is a massively growing market, which is in the interests of domestic jobs and the environment if it is tackled properly,” he said.
“Investments such as those made by the industrial heavyweight MAN are an example of how the attractiveness of Bavaria as a business location can be strengthened in the long term.
“Climate protection and the economy are mutually reinforcing here.”
At the MAN e-mobility Center, the commercial vehicle manufacturer is laying the foundations for the production of e-trucks on a large, industrial scale.
“This will enable us to meet the demand for zero-emission vehicles for all applications in the commercial vehicle sector – trucks, buses and vans – so that we can meet climate targets,” Tostmann said.
“In this way, MAN will continue to morph into a provider of sustainable and environmentally friendly transport solutions.”
The new vehicle architecture necessitates new production processes, the company said.
New parts and new components such as the electric battery and engine, high-voltage components and the orange high-voltage cables set the e-truck apart from its conventionally powered counterpart. As a result, a new vehicle architecture and different production steps are required.
The entire production process, including the start-up process for the vehicle, is carried out at the MAN e-mobility Center in Munich. The building features learning islands for employee training. Both on-the-job and off-the-job, employees learn the process steps and the dexterity required for assembling electric trucks on the series production line.
