A historic moment for MAN Truck & Bus: series production of electric trucks has started.
The CEO Alexander Vlaskamp and the Executive Board Member for Production Michael Kobriger, together with Manfred Weber, Member of the European Parliament and Chairman of the EPP, gave the go-ahead at the Munich plant.
From now on, both electric and diesel units will be produced in a fully integrated mixed production process on the same line.
Vlaskamp says: “The future of MAN begins now. The entire team is proud to be actively shaping the transformation from diesel to electric drive. Our highly efficient e-trucks will make locally emission-free freight transport a reality. The fact that we can manufacture the e-trucks on the same production line as our state-of-the-art diesel trucks also gives us enormous flexibility and increases production efficiency.”
He continues: “We have invested almost 400 million euros in research and development to be able to offer our conventional truck product portfolio with battery-electric drive as well.”
The range extends from 12 to 50 tonnes and covers everything from refuse collection vehicles to long-haul trucks.
“We aim to deliver the first 1,000 units by the end of the year. Politicians must now set the right course with regard to infrastructure expansion and CO2 pricing so that the ramp-up in e-mobility continues to gain momentum,” Vlaskamp indicates.
Kobriger states: “We are investing around one billion euros in the conversion to electrification of our European plants in this decade – a large part of this in Germany.”
“This is also a strong industrial policy signal for Bavaria as a business location, as we are actively shaping the transformation in Nuremberg and Munich,” he adds.
The transformation is now clearly visible at MAN’s main plant.
Maximum production capacity currently stands at around 100 units per day, regardless of the drive type.
It takes around eight hours to manufacture a truck.
“The production of electric or diesel trucks on a single line can be flexibly adapted to market developments, and the vehicles can be built exactly in the order in which they are ordered by customers. This innovative concept is accompanied by extensive changes along the assembly line as well as in the supply chain and logistics,” says Kobriger.
For example, while combustion engines are initially fitted with axles, tanks and exhaust systems, the electric models are instead fitted with two batteries under the cab together with other electrical components – the so-called power pack.
More than 5,000 employees have been trained in high-voltage technology for this transformation.
700 electric trucks sold – up to 740 kilometres range without charging
Before starting series production, MAN has already manufactured almost 200 electric pre-series units and delivered them to customers.
These vehicles have already clocked up around two million kilometres in real customer use on European roads – some with daily journeys of up to 850 kilometres and very low consumption of 97 kWh per 100 kilometres on average.
The company has already received around 700 orders for e-trucks.
The e-truck is particularly attractive for use in automotive logistics, among other things, as the Ultra-Lowliner semi-trailer tractor is unique on the market with its fifth-wheel height of just 950 mm and a wheelbase of 3.57 metres.
This means that fully electric transport with an internal loading height of three metres is also possible.
The electric Ultra Lowliner is already in use in Wolfsburg and Bavaria for automotive supply in various route profiles.
Another advantage of the eTruck is its three to six modular NMC batteries, which come from the MAN plant in Nuremberg and offer a total gross capacity of up to 534 kWh.
This means that up to 500 kilometres can be covered without recharging.
For even greater ranges, there is even an optional seventh battery, which makes it possible to drive up to 740 kilometres on battery power without recharging.
Also a pioneer in electric buses
MAN already offers not only the widest range of e-trucks, but also electric buses.
There are over a million configuration options for e-trucks alone, providing tailor-made solutions for all common transport applications.
MAN is the market leader in Europe for electric city buses, which have been manufactured at its plant in Starachowice, Poland, for some time now, and was also the first European manufacturer to present an electric coach in Ankara.
More than 2,500 MAN buses with battery-electric drives are currently in operation in European cities.
In the new model year, these will be equipped with batteries from Nuremberg, just like the trucks.
The firm has invested 250 million euros in the construction of a battery pack production facility there.
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