The electric impulse touches urban mobility. MAN, manufacturer of trucks, buses and vans under the umbrella of Traton, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, wants to set the pace. Sister of Scania, Navistar or VW Truck Bus, it sets its sights on electrifying transport in the city. A mission where she sees strong growth, not without obstacles.
The idea is that in the not too distant future the buses that travel the streets and go from city to city will be electric. “We are focused on e-mobility. We want to be suppliers of the entire range in the coming years and 100% electric in 2027. From urban buses to medium and long distances”, explains Heinz Kiess, head of bus product marketing at MAN Truck.
The market turns to the plug. “This year we will deliver 850 electric buses. In 2022, there were 263 in Europe ”, he comments. The forecast is that by 2030 the market for new registrations in Europe will be 80% electric and only 10% diesel and another 10% hydrogen. On a day-to-day basis, electric ones have the same operating cost as diesel, but buying the unit is more expensive. “We trust in advancing in efficiency. We are at the beginning of the development of batteries, there is a lot of potential. By 2025, operating an electric bus could already be cheaper and in about 10 or 15 years the total operating cost with diesel (purchase plus use) will double if taxation on fossil fuels is increased to reduce the CO₂ footprint”, he ventures. .
Batteries are a crucial factor. His focus goes through charging in the garage, not during the route or journey. Thus, they have to endure 16 or 18 hours of continuous service. The company is transforming its plant in Nuremberg (Germany) into a battery factory for heavy commercial vehicles, with the forecast of reaching 100,000 units of battery packs per year when fully operational, starting in 2025. “It will be a turning point. We have the technology, the knowledge, the software….” Master the cycle.
Even if you have the batteries and the vehicles, you have to think about accelerating the deployment of charging points. “The industry is ready. But we need an infrastructure at the European level”. Kiess estimates the number of points needed today to cover the continent at around 40,000. "There are billions of investment...", she points out. Hence, he calls politicians to get their act together and deploy subsidies. Given the urgency, manufacturers have launched to invest. Together with Volvo and Daimler, Traton has committed an investment of 500 million to deploy 1,700 charging points. Also press to get drivers. As much as it is automated, a person in command will always be necessary. Calculate the current deficit at 80,000, promoting programs for more women to join.
In the deployment of electric transport, some do their homework better than others. Hamburg (Germany), Austria, Switzerland or Scandinavia serve as an example. In Spain, San Sebastián takes note. "And Barcelona is turning fast," says Manuel Fraile, commercial director of buses at MAN Truck
In 2022 Traton had a sales turnover of more than 40,000 million, with an operating profit of about 2,000 million. MAN Truck
