MAN Truck & Bus outlined its roadmap for the development of CO₂-free mobility solutions for longer-distance transport. The company is entering into several partnerships for this purpose.

For public transport and distribution applications, the decision seems to have been made: battery electric vehicles are the means of choice. Accordingly, MAN Truck & Bus already offers series production of the MAN Lion’s City E and eTGE as well as the eTGM electric distribution truck. The all-electric truck of the new truck generation will hit the road from 2023.

Apart from the rapid development of battery technology, hydrogen is a good complementary option as an alternative fuel for long-distance transport. MAN plans to build prototype vehicles as early as next year in line with the currently ongoing development projects. MAN is testing both the use of a fuel cell and an H₂ combustion engine.

When in use, fuel cells do not cause any climate-damaging emissions, as they only emit water vapor. In addition, thanks to the on-board power generation, their range of approximately 800 km is large enough for long-distance truck transport with a high payload.

The hydrogen combustion engine, on the other hand, offers a more readily available and robust solution thanks to the well-known basic technology and could thus serve as a bridging technology.

Practical trials in cooperation with selected customers are planned for 2023/24. The aim is to test the entire hydrogen ecosystem in transport logistics. As part of a so-called Bavarian fleet, MAN would like to test hydrogen for use in long-distance road freight transport in a consortium project together with Bavarian infrastructure operators and freight forwarding partners. Initial talks on this are already underway with the Bavarian state government. Cooperation with universities is also planned.

MAN Truck & Bus is one of Europe’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers and transport solution providers, with an annual revenue of some €11 billion (2019). The company’s product portfolio includes vans, trucks, buses/coaches and diesel and gas engines along with services related to passenger and cargo transport. MAN Truck & Bus is a company of TRATON SE, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group along with the Scania and Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus brands.