MAN to Launch Battery Production for Trucks and Buses in April 2025
Foreks - MAN Truck & Bus is continuing its efforts for a swift transition to electromobility. The company celebrated the completion of a new building aimed at large-scale battery production for fully electric trucks and buses at its facility in Nuremberg with a special ceremony. The handover ceremony of the building, completed in one year, was attended by Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder, Nuremberg Mayor Marcus König, MAN Truck & Bus CEO Alexander Vlaskamp, and Markus Wansch, Chairman of the Works Council at MAN's Nuremberg facility.
"This is an important milestone for our company on the path to the transition to electromobility," said Alexander Vlaskamp, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus. He noted that they are establishing a facility equipped with future technologies in Nuremberg, stating, “Here, we will not only develop batteries but also utilize the latest technologies to start series production of them within a few months. The completion ceremony of the building is an important milestone for our company on the road to electromobility.”
The ceremony, held just a few weeks after the delivery of the first MAN eTruck to a customer, marks the next milestone for MAN. Starting from April 2025, high-voltage batteries will be industrially produced in Nuremberg using state-of-the-art manufacturing methods in an area of 17,000 square meters. With the facility that has future technologies and will employ approximately 350 people, MAN will become the first commercial vehicle manufacturer in Germany to start its own battery series production. The cost of the facility, including investments in logistics, infrastructure, buildings, and production facilities, will amount to approximately 100 million euros.
"In the first phase, up to 50,000 batteries will be produced annually." Currently, MAN produces battery packs for fully electric vehicles in small series at its Nuremberg facility, and with the new investment, it will begin series production of large-scale batteries. The small-capacity battery series production area will gradually be dedicated to the development of the next generation of batteries and battery renewal. The new building, which stands as the tallest production facility on-site at over 35 meters, has already begun the installation of its first production systems, with an initial production capacity of up to 50,000 batteries annually. This capacity may expand to up to 100,000 high-voltage batteries by 2030 depending on market development.
Ingo Essel, the Director of the MAN facility in Nuremberg, stated at the ceremony, “Entering the field of electromobility is a decisive step towards the future for our facility. We have decades of expertise in engine development and production, and we now want to position ourselves as a center of excellence for alternative drive technologies.”