Beim symbolischen Startschuss für die Batteriefertigung in Nürnberg (v.l.n.r.): Alexander Vlaskamp, CEO MAN Truck & Bus, Markus Wansch, Betriebsratsvorsitzender MAN-Standort Nürnberg, Dr. Markus Söder, Ministerpräsident Bundesland Bayern, Ulrich Zimmer, Senior Vice President Produktion Komponente, Marcus König, Oberbürgermeister Stadt Nürnberg, und Arne Puls, Personalvorstand und Arbeitsdirektor MAN Truck & Bus.

MAN builds battery factory in Nuremberg

From the beginning of 2025, MAN Truck & Bus will mass-produce high-voltage batteries for electric trucks and buses at the Nuremberg site. To this end, the company will invest around 100 million euros over the next five years in the traditional production site for combustion engines. The production capacities are to be expanded to over 100,000 batteries per year. The investments in the development of battery production will secure 350 promising jobs in the future. The important investment decision was made in close cooperation between the company and employee representatives and with the active support of Bavarian politics. The decision gives the traditional location of Nuremberg a clear perspective for the future.

First of all, the batteries, which form the heart of the electric commercial vehicle drives alongside the engines, are manufactured manually in a small series production for around two and a half years in the Nuremberg MAN plant. The start of construction for large-scale production is planned for mid-2023 and completion for the end of 2024. MAN is thus laying the foundation for the large-scale industrialization of electric drives in trucks and buses. The commercial vehicle manufacturer receives support from the Bavarian state government, which has promised a contribution of around 30 million euros for energy research and technology funding for the period 2023 to 2027, provided that the legal grant and budgetary requirements are met. These funds are to be used for research in the areas of battery assembly, cell chemistry and development, battery safety and finally battery recycling in order to ensure the sustainability of the drive type.

The batteries are made up of battery cells, which in turn are grouped into modules and brought together in individual layers to form a battery housing (pack). This requires a high level of know-how and strict security standards. Depending on the range, a heavy e-truck needs up to six of these battery packs. MAN’s electric trucks will initially have a range of 600 to 800 kilometers. In the next generation of battery technology, ranges of up to 1,000 kilometers can be expected from around 2026. This finally makes the e-truck suitable for long-distance transport. Around the middle of the current decade, the total cost of ownership for an electric truck and one with a diesel engine will be the same. MAN therefore expects that customer demand for e-vehicles will increase significantly by then at the latest – assuming there is an appropriate charging infrastructure.

The production of heavy electric trucks will start at MAN in Munich in early 2024. The manufacturer already put a small series on the road in 2019. MAN has also had fully electric city buses and vans on the market for some time. With its “electrification”, a new chapter is beginning for the Nuremberg production and development site, which will also increasingly take on tasks within the TRATON GROUP: With the start of battery production, MAN Truck & Bus is strengthening its position in the TRATON GROUP as a competence Partner for electromobility. www.mantruckandbus.com

Please follow and like us:

30.06.2022   |  

Related Posts