A BIG STEP TOWARDS ZERO EMISSIONS

MAN Truck & Bus is stepping up the pace in the transition to zero-emission commercial vehicles: production of heavy-duty eTrucks in Munich will start as early as the beginning of 2024.

MAN is accelerating its transformation and taking big steps towards zero-emission drive systems: under the motto “The Future starts now – We pave the road to Zero Emission”, the Munich-based commercial vehicle manufacturer presented a near-series electric truck in mid-February in Nuremberg and gave the go-ahead for an important hydrogen project for the future.

 Production of heavy-duty e-trucks in Munich is now scheduled to begin as early as the beginning of 2024 with prompt delivery of an initial 200 units. This is almost a year earlier than originally planned. MAN presented a near-production prototype of the new electric truck to the public for the first time today in Nuremberg. In addition to the new emission-free drives, MAN is developing comprehensive eMobility solutions that prepare customers for vehicle use at an early stage. "We need to drive the electrification of our fleet even faster. However, we will only succeed in ramping up e-mobility if we support our customers in their transition and convince them to do so. To this end, we are creating integrated digital solutions and charging offers," explains Alexander Vlaskamp, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus. In addition to accelerating the ramp-up of electric mobility, the commercial vehicle manufacturer is intensifying its research into hydrogen mobility. To this end, Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder and Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger today presented a funding commitment of 8.5 million euros for the "Bavarian Fleet" (Bayernflotte) project. In 2024, MAN trucks with hydrogen fuel cells are to prove their suitability at five customers in Bavaria. "The Future starts now - We pave the road to Zero Emission" - this was the motto under which the Munich-based commercial vehicle manufacturer MAN Truck & Bus received representatives from politics, science and industry in Nuremberg today to present a near-series electric truck and to give the starting signal for an important hydrogen future project. Alexander Vlaskamp, Chairman of the Executive Board of MAN Truck & Bus, said at the event: "MAN is accelerating its transformation and taking big steps towards emission-free drive systems. Our focus at MAN and in the TRATON Group is clearly on battery-electric drives. They form the basis for our heavy-duty etrucks, which we will be launching on the market from 2024. Only when sufficient green hydrogen and the corresponding infrastructure are available well after 2030 do we expect to use H2 trucks in selected areas of application. That is why we are researching the topic of hydrogen and the funding from the state of Bavaria enables us to build up further expertise in the field." MAN CEO Alexander Vlaskamp also announced at the event that the first 200 e-trucks will be built at the beginning of 2024. The battery-electric trucks will then roll off the production line at MAN's main e-mobility plant in Munich. In addition, the depth of added value for battery-electric commercial vehicles is to be increased - with in-house assembly of the so-called battery packs. It is clear: MAN is accelerating the pace of the transition to fossil-free forms of propulsion and is getting ready for the emission-free future of freight and passenger transport.