22
October
2020
|
16:21
Europe/Amsterdam

100 fleet operators successfully advised: MAN Transport Solutions supports customers with switching to environmentally friendly drives

Summary

MAN Transport Solutions develops eSolutions to make it as easy as possible for our customers to switch to e-mobility. The first component, launched in 2018, is 360° consulting by a team of carefully chosen experts. We recently reached the milestone of 100 comprehensive consulting projects. Development cooperation with well-known software providers plays an important role in consulting.

  • Simplifying business in a pure form
  • Costing basis and planning reliability for MAN customers
  • Michael Voll, Head of MAN Transport Solutions Consulting, says: “We work with the customer to draw up a detailed plan that enables them to gradually switch to e-mobility.”

The environmental credentials of electric vehicles and the positive influence of this local emission-free drive technology on the climate have been demonstrated in numerous studies. At the same time, in many European countries electrically powered commercial vehicles can be operated economically during their normal service life and depending on various local parameters. This is why MAN Truck & Bus already offers vehicles with electric battery drive in all three product segments – truck, bus and van – with plans to extend the product range further in the coming years.

To support its customers when switching to e-mobility with know-how and services as well as the vehicles themselves, MAN established the MAN Transport Solutions division in 2018, true to the company’s motto “Simplifying Business”. The e-mobility consultants come from the fields of automotive engineering, charging infrastructure, logistics, the power industry, route planning and battery technology. This expert team’s activities are focused on fleet consulting, including network analysis, charging infrastructure, power supply and storage, requirements planning and service.

But what does the consulting look like in detail? Michael Voll, Head of MAN Transport Solutions Consulting, explains: “We draw up a detailed plan for the customer that enables them to gradually switch to e-mobility. This essentially involves conversion of the vehicle fleet and the design of the charging infrastructure at the depot. For example, we answer questions on whether it is worthwhile making long-term plans for charging stations and the required power supply now as more electric vehicles will follow in the coming years. We also supply the customer with a tailored cost estimate – including the investment volume for each stage of expansion. Operational costs over the expected service life of the vehicles are also analysed and potential savings due to different hourly energy prices are highlighted.”

In the past, the 360° consulting services from MAN Transport Solutions Consulting were focused on customers from the local public transport sector. But the experts are also registering increased demand in the truck and van segments. In Switzerland, five depots were prepared for electrification of the van fleet for a company in the parcel delivery sector. Intensive discussions on site with a Belgium truck customer in the beverage industry enabled the physical situation to be investigated and the customer’s strategy internalised. One of the outcomes of the consulting by MAN Transport Solutions was cost savings for the customer due to the charging infrastructure being adapted to their needs.

The expert team from MAN Transport Solutions Consulting works with a wide range of industries throughout Europe. The customers’ issues vary hugely and call for individual approaches and analyses. An urban transport operator in France needed a concept for the complete conversion of their operations to e-mobility. By looking at key parameters such as range, availability and energy requirements, the optimum number of electric buses and the appropriate charging infrastructure were identified.

Another exciting consulting project was planning supplies to a production line using electric trucks. The customer from the automotive industry had the objective of switching a 24/7 Just In Time delivery model to zero emissions. The MAN Experts developed a coherent concept that ensures an environmentally friendly and stable supply to production using electric trucks.

Finally, the 100th consulting client was the Schwarz Group with headquarters in Herbrechtingen. After consulting by MAN Transport Solutions, the medium-sized, owner-managed group of companies decided to use a MAN eTGM for the production supply of its customer Carl Zeiss. The vehicle was handed over in mid-October. The e-truck will commute between Herbrechtingen and Oberkochen three to four times a day.

One of the partners for 360° consulting is INIT, a leading provider of integrated IT solutions for local public transportation. MAN Transport Solutions Consulting has signed a strategic cooperation with the company for development of planning software for e-mobility. One product of this cooperation is the planning tool eMOBILE-PLAN, which takes into account the changed requirements and planning parameters. The team uses this software extensively to advise their customers on converting their fleet to e-mobility. For planning truck routes, MAN Transport Solutions Consulting uses a software solution from Siemens Logistics Solutions to obtain very accurate predictions about future e-truck fleets.

As well as the well-established consulting services, MAN Transport Solutions now also offers its customers charging solutions. (For details, see press release “1_MAN_PC20_TS_Charging_Solutions”). This marks a further milestone in the eSolutions field and the objective is to make switching to e-mobility as easy as possible for our customers – a shining example of Simplifying Business. More will follow.