MAN Truck & Bus has announced that production of its heavy-duty e-trucks in Munich is now scheduled to begin at the beginning of 2024, almost a year earlier than originally planned.
The manufacturer, part of the Traton Group, says this will start with the delivery of an initial 200 units using battery packs tested at its eMobility Technical Centre in Nuremberg.
MAN is also developing an eConsulting division that will help EV customers with cost optimisation, route analysis, fleet optimisation and charging infrastructure.
In addition, from mid-2024, companies BayWa, DB Schenker, Gress Spedition, Rhenus Logistics and Spedition Dettendorfer will test MAN hydrogen-powered fuel cell trucks in real-life operations in Bavaria for one year.
MAN has developed the fuel cell truck with its industrial partners Bosch, Faurecia and ZF.
The state of Bavaria has set up the “Bavarian Fleet” research project as part of its own hydrogen strategy with 8.5 million euros worth of funding.
Alexander Vlaskamp, Chairman of the Executive Board of MAN Truck & Bus, said: “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 e-trucks, 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.”
