MAN launches the range of electric trucks
The German company MAN, which is engaged in the production of trucks, has announced plans to develop the area of electric vehicles for commercial transport. For this purpose, an eMobility Center was opened at the plant in Munich for the production of electric trucks. The company has already started production of prototypes, and serial production is scheduled for 2024.
The company notes that the decision to produce heavy trucks on electric traction is caused by the tendency to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. As you know, the European Union has strict rules regarding air pollution by CO2 vapor. According to the government’s goal, by 2030 in the EU territory carbon emissions of trucks that weigh more than 16 tons must be reduced by 30%. Otherwise, manufacturers and operators will face severe fines.
For this reason MAN has decided to actively embark on developments in the direction of electric vehicles. In the future, battery-powered trucks will be produced at the company’s main plant, on the same level as vehicles with a combustion engine.
However, the manufacturer understands that the approach in the development of electric vehicles is quite different from traditional vehicles. Now the company and its specialists are gaining new experience, employees are undergoing training, which will be completed by 2023. Only after all the employees have passed the qualification check, then the serial production of the products will begin. And the personnel training program is important not only in terms of speeding up production. It will save and increase jobs at the company’s facilities.
It should be noted that MAN already produces products on electric traction – buses and vans. In addition, a small batch of the eTGM model medium-weight truck, which also runs on batteries, was presented. It was tested in 2018 in Austria, which was attended by local logistics operators. The truck has excellent performance characteristics and a high level of environmental friendliness. When working, it does not emit harmful emissions and is virtually silent. The truck has several configurations, and can be used as a refrigerator. So far, the demand for this variant remains small, but company analysts predict an increase in demand for this type of transport within a few years.
Global trends suggest that in the near future the demand for electric cars will grow in several years, and this applies not only to passenger cars, but also to heavy trucks. MAN designers are actively working on increasing the productivity of such vehicles in order to make them a great alternative to standard trucks, which are harmful to the environment.
