Following the successful electrification of vans and city buses, MAN Truck & Bus has now launched sales of the new heavy MAN eTruck.
According to the company’s plans, this should already account for around 50 percent of MAN’s new vehicle registrations in the EU by 2030. But in order for the green drive turnaround in the transport industry to succeed, MAN and the German Freight Transport and Logistics Association (BGL) are jointly calling for the accelerated expansion of public charging infrastructure.
The new MAN eTruck was available to customers in the first European markets from the end of October. But whether and when they switch from diesel to electric drive depends on the existence of the necessary framework conditions – above all, a nationwide charging infrastructure. MAN and the German Association of Freight Transport and Logistics are calling for political support in this regard:
“Around 96 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions of our current diesel vehicles are attributable to the use phase. That’s why battery-electric drives for commercial vehicles are the decisive key to achieving CO2 reduction targets.
“But for our customers to switch from diesel to battery-electric trucks, a nationwide charging infrastructure is a basic prerequisite. And here we urgently need a significantly accelerated expansion to at least 4,000 megawatt charging points in Germany and 50,000 high-capacity and megawatt charging points in Europe by 2030.
“We have done our homework, our e-truck is starting soon to go on sale. Now we urgently need the support of policymakers and the commitment of the energy industry in order to jointly make a success of the traffic turnaround in road freight transport,” says Dr. Frederik Zohm, Executive Board Member for Research and Development at MAN Truck & Bus SE.
