Commercial vehicle manufacturer MAN presents prototypes for e-trucks

Source: Energy & Management Powernews, February 18, 2022

The commercial vehicle manufacturer MAN has presented a prototype for an electric truck in Nuremberg for the first time. The company also received a funding notification from Bavaria. 

"We need to drive the electrification of our fleet even faster. However, we will only succeed in ramping up e-mobility nationwide if we accompany our customers in their transition and convince them to do so. To this end, we are creating holistic digital solution and charging offerings," explained Alexander Vlaskamp, Chairman of the Executive Board of MAN Truck & Bus, on February 17 in Nuremberg at the presentation of the E-Truck.

The first 200 E-Trucks are to 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 value added for battery-electric commercial vehicles is to be increased - with in-house assembly of the so-called battery packs. Battery packs are the largest units of vehicle batteries in commercial vehicles. At MAN's Nuremberg site, the battery packs for the e-trucks are manufactured and tested. 

MAN is also working to build up expertise in hydrogen technology in addition to electromobility. However, the manufacturer sees trucks and buses with fuel cells only in the future as a complement to electric drives. According to the current state of the art, commercial vehicles with fuel cells would have a longer range than those with batteries. Vlaskamp explained, however, that at present hydrogen is not economically viable for use in automobiles - including trucks. In addition, green hydrogen will not be available in sufficient quantities in the near future.

In order to be prepared in the future, however, MAN is also investing in the development of hydrogen mobility. Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder (CSU) and Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters) presented Vlaskamp with a grant of 8.2 million euros for this purpose on this date. The money is to be used to advance both components and the expansion of vehicles with hydrogen technology. "What we can do is strengthen research to accompany the innovative leap," Söder said. "As part of the Bavarian Hydrogen Strategy, my ministry is also promoting hydrogen filling stations for commercial vehicles. We are thus creating the framework conditions for a rapid ramp-up of this emission-free mobility in Bavaria," said Aiwanger. 

The funding is earmarked for the "Bayernflotte" project: In this project, MAN is developing five prototypes of a fuel cell truck together with industrial partners Bosch, Faurecia and ZF Friedrichshafen. The vehicles are to be delivered to five logistics partners for testing in mid-2024. Real tests are to show that hydrogen drives can also save many tons of CO2 emissions per year in everyday use and thus contribute to the mobility turnaround. Research funding from the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs is co-financing two Bayernflotte sub-projects. The vehicle conversion and integration of new components is being supported with 4.64 million euros, and the development of new components with 3.54 million euros. 

Author: Heidi Roider