MAN begins electric truck manufacturing on shared diesel line

MAN starts series production of electric trucks in Munich, integrating them with diesel on one line. A key step toward CO2 neutrality by 2050.

At the company’s main plant in Munich, MAN Truck & Bus officially launched series production of its electric trucks — a moment CEO Alexander Vlaskamp described as “a turning point in our history.” Together with Production Board Member Michael Kobriger and European Parliament member Manfred Weber, Vlaskamp inaugurated a new production era where electric and diesel trucks are assembled on the same flexible line.

“The future of MAN begins now,” Vlaskamp declared, emphasizing that this milestone is not just symbolic but essential for the company’s ambition to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. With the ability to produce zero-emission trucks efficiently alongside traditional diesel models, MAN enhances both its sustainability and production agility. Each vehicle takes approximately eight hours to complete.

The transition comes with substantial investment: nearly €400 million in R&D and another €1 billion to convert MAN’s European manufacturing sites — the majority located in Germany. For Bavaria, this industrial upgrade sends a strong economic signal and anchors the region as a hub for e-mobility.

Technically, the electric trucks are built for performance and range. Equipped with three to six modular NMC batteries — all manufactured at MAN’s Nuremberg plant — the vehicles offer up to 534 kWh of battery capacity. An optional seventh battery extends the range to 740 kilometers without recharging. Prior to the production ramp-up, 200 pre-series vehicles had already completed about two million kilometers across Europe in real-world logistics scenarios.

Among the highlights is the Ultra-Lowliner semi-truck, designed for automotive logistics. It boasts a fifth-wheel height of just 950 mm and a 3.57-meter wheelbase, enabling fully electric deliveries with up to three meters of internal cargo height. The model is already in use in Wolfsburg and Bavaria.

MAN’s electric ambitions extend beyond trucks. More than 2,500 MAN electric buses currently operate in European cities, with production based in Starachowice, Poland. From 2025, both buses and trucks will share battery modules produced in Nuremberg, where MAN has invested €250 million in battery assembly infrastructure.

The environmental impact is significant. If 1,000 electric trucks replace diesel ones and run on green electricity, they could save up to 80,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually — roughly equal to the emissions of a small German town. MAN has already secured around 700 orders and aims to deliver the first 1,000 units by year’s end.

This isn’t just about keeping pace — MAN is actively shaping the future of freight mobility in Europe. The challenge now lies in ensuring charging infrastructure keeps up and in scaling production swiftly enough to make electric mobility the new normal.