CONFERENCE DAYS 2024: MAN drums up support for a shift to alternative drives

Successfully switching to alternative drives - is that even possible? And if so, how? MAN addressed these questions in its panel today as part of the digital event series CONFERENCE DAYS, which is hosted annually by Munich-based HUSS-VERLAG. And because the customer should naturally be at the center of this, moderator Amelie Mangler, spokesperson for MAN Truck & Bus SE, first handed the floor over to the audience. She wanted to know which type of drive would be the most interesting in the future. The vote was clear. With 57 percent, more than half favor the E-Truck, 32 percent favor hydrogen, and only 11 percent favor diesel.

Prospectively, Mainly E-Trucks

For Elisabeth Stemmer, Team Lead Integrative Launch Management at MAN Truck & Bus SE, who brought the audience closer to MAN's portfolio, this was precisely the keyword she had been waiting for. Currently, it is mainly the E-truck that the manufacturer is focusing on when it comes to alternative drives. Starting next year, the hydrogen combustion engine will complement the portfolio, and by the end of the decade, there will also be models with fuel cells. However, the main focus in Munich is on electric vehicles. Stemmer assumes that the majority of trucks will run electrically in the future. Hydrogen combustion engines and fuel cells will only account for just under a quarter of the market share.

Diesel Remains

“Nevertheless, diesel will continue to accompany us.”

Stemmer assumes that there will always be an application that can only be covered with diesel. The only question is how much time the legislator will still give diesel. In any case, Stemmer assures:

“We at MAN will definitely continue to see diesel as the 4th component.”

The limits of electromobility are particularly evident in heavy-duty applications, challenging climatic conditions, or when grid expansion is delayed. However, even in these scenarios, it doesn't always have to be diesel. Here, the fuel cell or the hydrogen combustion engine can also demonstrate their strengths.

Hydrogen – as a combustion engine and with a fuel cell

That's why MAN is now bringing the hydrogen combustion engine to the market as an alternative. The 520-horsepower truck has the advantage of having the same payload as diesel while offering a range of 600 kilometers. In the EU, it is considered a zero-emission vehicle, just like the electric truck. It is expected to be rolled out in initial pilot markets soon. Stemmer even mentions a specific date:

"We can start in 2025."

By 2030, MAN aims to broaden its reach with the vehicle and offer a wider portfolio. By then, there will also be a variant with a fuel cell, which according to MAN, has the advantage of higher efficiency.