What was long considered a vision of the future is now a reality in Munich: an autonomous city bus for public transport. As part of the MINGA research project, MAN Truck & Bus and Stadtwerke München (SWM), in collaboration with Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG) and under the leadership of the Mobility Department of the City of Munich, have reached a decisive milestone. Since early September, the automated MAN Lion’s City 12 E has been operating for the first time on Route 178 between Petuelring and Freimanner Hölzl. This marks the first time the 12-meter-long city bus – which was automated by MAN and its technology partner ADASTEC – has been visible to the public in city traffic.

The bus is currently still accompanied by specially trained test drivers from MAN and MVG. In the coming weeks, extensive route data will be collected to lay the groundwork for increasingly autonomous operation. Throughout the entire project, safety drivers will be on board at all times, ready to take immediate control of the vehicle if necessary.

Christian Hirte, Parliamentary State Secretary to the German Federal Minister of Transport: “Autonomous mobility will be part of our transportation system of the future. It is crucial that we test it under real-world conditions and gain experience for its practical application. With the start of the next test phase, an autonomous solo bus will be operating on public roads in Munich for the first time. The MINGA project is thus reaching another milestone and demonstrating how autonomous vehicles can meaningfully complement public transportation in the future and make it more flexible. We are supporting this development with approximately 13 million euros.”

Georg Dunkel, Head of the Department of Mobility of the City of Munich: “With the autonomous 12-meter bus we’re now putting on the road, we’re taking an important step toward the regular deployment of autonomous vehicles in public transport. Following the recent launch of an autonomous on-demand shuttle in Munich, this marks another important milestone in the further development of urban mobility. I’d like to thank all our partners, especially MAN and MVG, for their close collaboration and dedication. The MINGA project demonstrates how innovation emerges right here on the ground and is shaping the future of mobility in Munich.”

“With the first test runs on the route, we’ve left the controlled environment of our factory grounds and are bringing our system into real city traffic. This is an enormously important step toward automated urban mobility,” says Barbaros Oktay, Head of Bus at MAN Truck & Bus.

Sinaida Cordes, Authorized Signatory at SWM and MVG: “The insights from the MINGA project are of great importance to MVG as a public transport operator. They help us better understand the possible applications of autonomous buses in public transport and assess their potential for passengers and operations. In the long term, we see autonomous vehicles as an opportunity to make public transport even more attractive, flexible, and efficient, thereby making an important contribution to the mobility of the future.”

“Route 178 offers ideal conditions for test operations. It combines a variety of traffic situations, such as major thoroughfares, 30-km/h zones, parking areas, and underpasses. This means it is a good representation of Munich’s diverse bus network. For future regular service, it is crucial to conduct the tests as close to real-world conditions as possible,” adds Veit Bodenschatz, Head of the Bus Division at SWM and MVG.

Route is being digitized for autonomous driving

As part of the current test runs, the route information required for autonomous operation is being collected. “This is necessary because autonomous driving requires a high-resolution and extremely precise map of the route,” explains Marc Raudszus, Technical Coordinator and test driver at MAN.

To this end, the vehicle uses state-of-the-art sensor technology to map its surroundings: The bus is equipped with five LiDAR sensors, six radars, eight cameras, and a satellite-based positioning system. From this data, technology partner ADASTEC implements relevant road and traffic information such as traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, lane layouts, and other route-relevant features, within a high-resolution digital map (HD map) that supports precise localization and automated driving along the defined route. This forms the basis for the city bus to drive the route independently and safely in just a few weeks. “Among other things, the vehicle will steer, accelerate, brake, and signal on its own. However, a safety driver will remain on board at all times to monitor the systems,” explains Dr. Michael Roth, Head of Bus Strategy and Bus Product Strategy at MAN.

“Our MAN Lion’s City E is currently collecting data on an ongoing basis and is being further optimized for the planned automated operation,” says Marc Raudszus, adding: “In addition to the technology, the size of the vehicle also poses a particular challenge. This makes it all the more important for us to ensure cautious, restrained driving behavior. After all, in addition to technical maturity, the MINGA project is also about building trust in the new technology.”

Test operation under real-world conditions

MVG and MAN are expected to launch another phase starting in November with test users along Route 178. The bus will be deployed as an additional vehicle on the existing route, simulating future use in regular scheduled service under conditions as close to real-world as possible. During this project phase, selected test users will be able to ride as part of a closed user group. The bus has approximately 30 seats as well as space for a wheelchair or pram. Before being deployed on public roads, the automated electric bus successfully completed an extensive testing program at the MAN facility. This included electromagnetic compatibility testing as well as the validation of all functions of the automated driving system developed by MAN’s partner ADASTEC in a wide range of defined test scenarios. “The top priority was that the safety driver on board must be able to intervene at any time in the event of a potential system failure,” Raudszus emphasizes.

On this basis, the necessary technical inspections by TÜV and other approval procedures were completed. The federal authority for road traffic, Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA), was responsible for issuing the operating permit in accordance with the AFGBV (Autonome-Fahrzeuge-Genehmigungs-und-Betriebs-Verordnung). “This means that all regulatory requirements for the test operations now underway in Munich’s street traffic have been met,” says Roth.

Registration for rides now open

Interested individuals can already register to participate at mvg.de/minga-anmeldung. MVG will provide separate information regarding the specific start date for the ride-sharing service in due course.

MINGA: A key project for the mobility of the future

MAN’s goal is to use autonomous buses to make local public transportation more efficient, flexible, and sustainable in the future. Autonomous systems thus offer great potential for ensuring and improving mobility services – especially in light of growing cities and an increasing driver shortage. MAN has been working on driverless buses for years. The experience gained from the MINGA project is now being directly incorporated into the further development of future vehicle generations. In the MINGA research project, MAN is working with ADASTEC as its technology partner, relying on a specialized provider of automated driving systems. The company develops SAE Level-4 (fully automated) automated driving software platform for buses and commercial vehicles.

The MINGA research project (Munich’s Automated Local Transport with Ridepooling, Solobus, and Bus Platoons) has been underway since 2023 with a total of 16 partners from public authorities, research institutions, and industry. The Mobility Department of the City of Munich serves as the consortium leader and is responsible for the overall project. The goal is to integrate automated and connected mobility solutions into the existing transportation system and to address key questions regarding technology, regulation, cost-effectiveness, accessibility, and operations. The project is being funded with approximately 13 million euros through mid-2027 by the Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV) under the funding guideline “Autonomous and Connected Driving in Public Transportation.” Further information on the project can be found at mvg.de/minga and muenchenunterwegs.de/minga.

Overview of press releases in the press kit:

1. UITP Summit 2025: MAN Lion’s City E with new battery generation celebrates world premiere
2. More flexible, more efficient, safer: MAN eBuses with new batteries from in-house production from 2025 onwards
3. Automation: MAN is working consistently on driverless buses

MAN eBus and battery exhibit at the trade fair stand in Hall 4

The Lion's City 10 E with the new MAN battery generation will be on display in Hall A4 from June 16 to 18. The 10.5 meter long eBus is equipped with two doors, innovative assistance systems and four battery packs with an installed capacity of 356 kWh. The compact bus can make the most of its advantages as a booster at peak times and as a city center shuttle. With 27 seats and 54 standing places, it has a similar passenger capacity to many 12-meter buses, but requires less traffic space and is much more manoeuvrable. The new batteries also contribute to the issue of capacity. The new generation is more efficient, lighter and has a higher energy density and improved depth of discharge. As a result, the city bus requires fewer battery packs despite the range remaining the same or even increasing - which creates space for more passengers. In addition to its efficiency, the MAN BatteryPack also impresses with its safety and sustainability. In total, up to 96 percent of the batteries, which can cover a total of 1 million kilometers over a service life of up to 14 years, can be recycled. Series production of the battery system, which will be installed in all future eBuses and eTrucks, has been ramping up at the MAN plant in Nuremberg since April. More information will be provided on June 18 at 11:30 a.m. in the expert presentation “THE NEW MAN BATTERY PACK - lifelong energy, one reliable partner” by Christoph Matousek, Launch Manager Bus at MAN.

MAN continues its eBus success story in Hamburg

Even before the UITP Summit opens its doors in Hamburg, the “Mobility Festival” will take place on June 14, transforming Jungfernstieg into a meeting place for all those who are rethinking mobility. “Hamburg is a special place for us, as this is where our eBus success story began at the end of 2019 with the first handover of two MAN Lion's City E buses,” says Heinz Kiess, Head of Product Marketing Bus at MAN Truck & Bus, adding: ”Today, over 2,500 of our eBuses are in operation throughout Europe. We are therefore all the more pleased that the Lion's City E with the new MAN BatteryPack is making its debut here.” With the latest update of the eBus, MAN is continuing its commitment to sustainable solutions in public transport, which are more in demand than ever. The Paris Climate Agreement calls for global warming to be limited to well below two degrees. MAN is pursuing a clear zero-emissions strategy in order to meet this goal and its own commitment to sustainable mobility. “We are convinced that the future belongs to the electric drive,” says Katzer.

All-round advice and digital services for the switch to eMobility

In addition to future-proof solutions, MAN relies on a highly qualified team of eMobility experts and all-round advice when switching to eMobility. The entire transition process is considered with a 360° analysis. The aim is to ensure a successful transition to electric mobility with as little effort as possible for the operators. But even after the switch to e-vehicles, MAN's experts are there to support customers with their expertise and digital tools.

SaveTheDate: MAN at the UITP Summit 2025

The UITP Summit is the world's largest event for sustainable urban mobility. It brings together transport providers, authorities, operators and exhibitors. The focus is on innovations and products for the public transport of tomorrow. The most important MAN dates at a glance:

• MAN meets Mobility Festival: June 14, 2025 | 12:00 - 19:00 | Jungfernstieg, Hamburg
• MAN press briefing: June 16, 2025 | 11:30 - 12:00 | MAN trade fair stand (A4100), Hamburg
• MAN expert presentation by Christoph Matousek, Launch Manager Bus, as part of the UITP 2025 conference program: 18 June 2025 | 11:30 - 12:30, Expo Session B (Hall A4): “THE NEW MAN BATTERY PACK - lifelong energy, one reliable partner”

The ‘Engineering Team of the Year’ award at the ‘ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle International Award’ goes to MAN Truck & Bus. The jury of internationally renowned experts honoured an MAN development team for the release of a data set containing 747 scenes from test drives on public roads. On the basis of these so-called ‘TruckScenes’, researchers from all over the world can advance the autonomous driving of commercial vehicles more quickly. The development team from Munich accepted the prestigious award at the ‘ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle Technology Expo’ in Stuttgart. 

'This data release promotes the standardisation of data formats between manufacturers, universities and software developers. It also enables a standardised comparison of results and methods of scientific studies and simplifies collaboration with external development partners', says Anthony James, Editor-in-Chief of the magazine 'ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle International', which awards the prize. 

Base for autonomous trucks 

The development of autonomous driving requires a large amount of training data. This enables automation systems to learn how to steer trucks safely through traffic. This is precisely where the ‘MAN TruckScenes’ data set comes into play: it includes scenes from real road traffic, primarily from German motorways, the associated feeder routes and freight terminals. The data is typical for hub-to-hub transport - i.e. transport between logistics hubs. MAN sees this as an initial application scenario for driverless lorry driving on long-distance routes. The data comes from test vehicles equipped with four cameras, six lidar and six radar systems as well as two inertial measurement units for determining the position in space (IMS) and navigation satellites. 

Numerous downloads 

The ‘MAN TruckScenes’ have been well received by developers of autonomous vehicles from all over the world. Since its publication, the download figures for the data set, which comprises several hundred gigabytes, have been rising continuously. No wonder: never before has a truck manufacturer made such data recordings freely accessible. In addition, similar data records from passenger car development are of little help in the truck sector - because trucks drive in different environments than passenger cars, usually have an additional trailer, require more sensors and, due to their long braking distance, must also be able to ‘see’ much further ahead. 

‘We are very proud of this award, because it confirms that we are on the right track with our automation approach,’ says Dr Frederik Zohm, Chief Research and Development Officer at MAN. ‘At the same time, we also know that we can only bring this huge technological step onto the road together with partners. For this reason, we are publishing our data so that others can also benefit from it. This benefits us all - and advances this important innovation in Germany and Europe.’ 

Autonomous driving at MAN 

MAN is driving autonomous driving forward with various research and development projects. The focus is on autonomous driving between logistics hubs on motorways and motorways, as has been made possible in principle by German legislation since 2021. In 2024, MAN was the first commercial vehicle manufacturer to drive an autonomous prototype on the motorway. 

After three years, the twelve project partners from industry, science, software development and infrastructure have successfully completed the ATLAS-L4 research and development project (automated transport between logistics centres on level 4 motorways): The autonomous truck in road transport became a reality thanks to the work of around 150 engineers! MAN Truck & Bus, Knorr-Bremse, Leoni, Bosch, Fernride, BTC Embedded Systems, Fraunhofer AISEC, Technical University of Munich, Technical University of Braunschweig, TÜV SÜD, Autobahn GmbH and the Würzburg Institute of Transport Sciences (WIVW GmbH) have joined forces for this project. 

The consortium had set itself a clear goal in the project, which was funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection and had a total budget of 59.1 million euros: to bring a level 4 automated and thus autonomously driving truck for hub-to-hub transport onto the motorways. The basis for this was the law passed in 2021, which basically enables autonomous driving on defined routes under technical supervision and thus puts Germany in a pioneering role globally. 

“Together with our partners, we have set ourselves a high goal and realised an industrialisable basic concept for autonomous driving in hub-to-hub use. The development and integration of the redundant components required for safe use, such as steering, brakes and the vehicle electrical system, as well as the creation of a validation concept required interdisciplinary expertise and close teamwork. As a consortium, we have proven ourselves with this project: Autonomously driving trucks are feasible!” sums up Dr Frederik Zohm, Executive Board Member for Research and Development at MAN Truck & Bus, adding, “Innovations such as autonomous driving require such collaborations in order to effectively advance future technology in Germany and Europe.” 

How did the trial phase go? 

The starting signal for ATLAS-L4 was given on 1 January 2022. After the Federal Motor Transport Authority granted the first Level 4 test approval for a commercial vehicle manufacturer in April 2024, the premiere on public roads took place with the first motorway drive of an autonomous truck in Germany - with Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing as a prominent companion. A safety driver was always on board for this and all other test drives. The automation software in the vehicle was continuously optimised through regular releases over a long period of time and tested directly in practice. 

Mission accomplished! 

The consortium was able to tick all the project objectives: The safety-relevant components for the Level 4 architecture, such as the redundant braking system, on-board network and steering system, were installed. A validation concept was drawn up and the control centre for technical supervision was put into operation at the same time. Risk analyses and safety considerations for Level 4 – including cyber security, for example in the form of authentic and encrypted communication, as well as the definition of functional safety measures such as redundancies and degradation concepts for the autonomous driving system – took place. The result: a prototype technology as a blueprint for further projects and series developments. 

What’s next? 

The work of ATLAS-L4 can therefore be used as a basic concept for future industrial developments, although various detailed questions still need to be clarified for an autonomous truck in series production, which the project has revealed. “We have done valuable pioneering work by providing practical proof of the technical feasibility of autonomous trucks,” says project coordinator Sebastian Völl, MAN Truck & Bus. “These concepts are now being incorporated into further development work for the series development of autonomous trucks.” 

Logistics 4.0 offers a great deal of potential: driverless trucks as part of hub-to-hub automation for shuttle journeys between logistics centres can make an important contribution to greater efficiency and the avoidance of traffic jams and accidents. Automation concepts also offer a solution to the driver shortage that the industry has been suffering from for years. There is already a shortage of around 100,000 truck drivers in Germany. 

On 7 and 8 May, the project participants presented the results of ATLAS-L4 to around 200 guests in the presence of representatives of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection - with driving demonstrations on the grounds of the ADAC Mobility Test Centre in Penzing and on the motorway, an exhibition covering around 1,000 square metres and scientific presentations.  

Further information on the ATLAS-L4 project and the project partners and their individual project results is available online: www.atlas-l4.com  

Wide-ranging expertise: 

   Commercial vehicle manufacturer MAN Truck & Bus was responsible for the overall system development and the integration of all components into the vehicle. MAN was also responsible for data transmission to the vehicle and commissioning the control centre, which will monitor the test drives in line with the technical supervision required by the law on autonomous driving. 

Knorr-Bremse, the world market leader for braking systems, developed the special, redundantly designed braking system architecture including steering redundancy through steer-by-brake, which enables the safe operation of a Level 4 truck in any situation. 

 The project partner LEONI, Europe's largest on-board power supply manufacturer, ensured that the on-board power supply and the electronic cable distribution of the automation system always function reliably, regardless of any faults that may occur. 

Robert Bosch Automotive Steering GmbH has developed a fault-tolerant steering system for ATLAS-L4 that fulfils all the requirements for SAE Level 4 automation. 

The Munich-based start-up FERNRIDE GmbH, which specialises in autonomous driving on logistics sites, investigated the possibilities of teleoperation in the hub-to-hub scenario addressed by the project. With FERNRIDE's teleoperation technology, autonomous vehicles can be monitored and remotely controlled if necessary. 

The test tool manufacturer BTC Embedded Systems AG focussed on scenario-based and simulative test approaches for complete vehicle verification and safety validation, with a particular focus on critical driving situations. 

 In the project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC extended its methods for cyber security risk analyses to automated trucks for the first time and researched solutions for holistic security management. Security risk analyses and protection concepts for the trucks and their ecosystem were developed on this basis. 

 The Institute of Automatic Control at TU Braunschweig developed concepts for the safe operation of Level 4 trucks and for the technical self-awareness of automated vehicles, among other things. 

 The Chair of Automotive Engineering at the Technical University of Munich contributed its expertise in various aspects of vehicle dynamics and developed interaction concepts for technical supervision. 

 TÜV SÜD contributed its extensive experience with test environments for automated vehicles to the project test drives, tested the capabilities of the vehicles themselves as well as the validity of the simulation and assessed the safety of the vehicles as part of the approval process. 

 With the law on autonomous driving, the approval of operating zones on motorways is the responsibility of Autobahn GmbH. As part of the project, it developed a digital management system for operating zone approval and contributed its many years of expertise in the field of cooperative and connected driving to the project. 

WIVW GmbH set up a teleoperator workstation that allows the control of a virtual truck by coupling it with the driving simulation. The requirements developed for a teleoperator workstation can thus be translated into a concrete concept, implemented, visualised and evaluated. 

The decarbonisation of road freight transport is the focus of MAN Truck & Bus' appearance at the IAA Transportation 2024. The trucks with electric, hydrogen and state-of-the-art diesel drives on display in Hall 12, Stand C04, are representative of the company's innovative and sustainable transport solutions.  

As a driver of sustainability in the transport sector, MAN is entering a new era at the IAA 2024: under the motto "Simplifying Business", the company is showcasing its entire truck drive portfolio with electric, hydrogen and diesel technology for the first time. This includes a world premiere with the MAN eTGL: the electrically powered 12-tonne truck rounds off MAN's electric truck portfolio with light distribution transport at the bottom end. With the eTGL, MAN now offers its customers a complete portfolio of electric trucks from twelve to 50 tonnes - including the associated consulting and services, which will also be presented.  

The MAN hTGX hydrogen combustion engine complements the zero-emission portfolio for special applications. MAN will be the first European truck manufacturer to launch a small series with a hydrogen combustion engine from 2025.  

The innovations in conventional diesel drives for MAN semitrailer tractors from model year 2025 will focus on reducing fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions by up to 4 per cent. This is made possible by the highly efficient, completely newly developed PowerLion drivetrain with the new D30 engine, which is based on the TRATON GROUP's shared component platform, the new MAN TipMatic 14 gearbox and aerodynamic measures. 

Electromobility is the main drive technology for MAN Truck & Bus 

"Even though the transition to CO₂ -free freight transport is characterised by several drive technologies, our focus is clearly on electromobility as the main drive technology," says Alexander Vlaskamp, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus. "The hydrogen burner can be a useful addition for special applications, as can the fuel cell drive, which is currently still under development. In addition, the diesel drive will continue to play an important role throughout the entire transformation until it is completely replaced. That is why we have made it even more efficient, economical and lower in CO₂ emissions with our completely newly developed PowerLion drivetrain and the new D30 engine. It is based on the TRATON GROUP's joint engine platform and is the tangible result of intensive collaboration between our development departments. At MAN, we manufacture combustion and electric trucks on the same series production line, which allows us to react flexibly to the shift in demand towards electric trucks. However, for the drive transition to succeed, the expansion of the charging infrastructure must be an absolute priority for politicians, infrastructure operators and manufacturers."  

eTGL celebrates its world premiere at the IAA 

MAN Truck & Bus is presenting the new MAN eTGL for the first time at the IAA 2024. The electrically powered 12-tonne truck rounds off the MAN electric truck portfolio for light distribution transport. With a range of up to 235 kilometres, fast charging in around 30 minutes and a payload of up to 6,600 kilograms, depending on the body, it offers the ideal combination for quiet and locally CO₂ -free transport in urban goods logistics for food chains, retailers or the catering industry. Together with the eTGS and eTGX, MAN now offers the entire total weight portfolio from twelve to 50 tonnes fully electrically with the new eTGL. Comparatively low range requirements, the option of depot charging at logistics locations and increasing noise and emission restrictions for combustion-powered trucks in city centres make urban distribution transport an important starting segment for the switch to electromobility. The MAN eTGL considerably expands the already countless eTruck configuration variants.   

MAN's eTruck portfolio grows significantly 

The "heavy" brothers of the eTGL - the MAN eTGX and MAN eTGS - are fit for the requirements of all relevant industries, body solutions and transport tasks. With their three, four, five or six modularly combinable and variably positionable batteries, the 18- to 28-tonne MAN eTGX and MAN eTGS chassis with their optional 333, 449 or 544 electric hp offer customers even more flexibility. MAN is also presenting a battery layout with a seventh high-voltage battery for the MAN eTGX 6x2 chassis for the first time at the IAA. With a capacity of 623 kWh (560 kWh usable), this seventh battery significantly increases the range once again: depending on driving style, this results in a range of around 650 km without having to recharge. The additional battery power can of course also be used to operate auxiliary units. The seventh battery is installed by MAN Individual. 

The MAN eTGX and MAN eTGS are being prepared for the upcoming MCS megawatt charging standard with up to 1000 kW, which enables recharging during the driver's break from driving. This enables a daily range of up to 800 kilometres in the configuration with six batteries, which is also sufficient for typical long-distance transport applications. This is one of the reasons why customer interest is already high: around 2300 enquiries and orders have already been received, including a major order from France for 100 vehicles. 

Investments in charging parks and charging stations  

In addition to competitive BEV vehicles, the charging infrastructure plays a decisive role in the ramp-up of electromobility. The charging infrastructure joint venture Milence, in which MAN is involved as part of the TRATON GROUP alongside Daimler Truck and Volvo Trucks, recently opened one of the first large truck charging parks in the port of Antwerp. A total of 1700 charging points are to be created over the next few years on the manufacturers' own initiative. A total of 50,000 will be needed by 2030 for the continuously increasing number of electric lorries.  

As part of their new partnership, the energy company E.ON and MAN Truck & Bus will be setting up around 170 locations across Europe with around 400 charging points for the public charging of electric trucks. E.ON and MAN are investing in the new charging locations, which are being built along the existing MAN service network and where commercial vehicles from other manufacturers can also charge publicly. Around 125 locations are planned in Germany alone. This will create the largest nationwide public charging network for heavy commercial vehicles in the country to date. E.ON and MAN are building further locations in Austria, the UK, Denmark, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary, for example. E.ON has already put two charging points into operation at the MAN Service site in Berlin-Wildau, and two further sites (Karlsfeld and Fürstenwalde) are about to be commissioned just a few months after the announcement. 

MAN is the first manufacturer to launch trucks with hydrogen combustion engines 

In parallel to the ramp-up of electromobility, MAN is working on hydrogen technology as a complementary zero-emission solution for special applications such as heavy transport or for areas where charging infrastructure is difficult to realise. At the IAA, MAN is presenting the prototype of a hydrogen combustion truck, which will be delivered to customers in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Iceland and selected non-European countries for the first time as the MAN hTGX in a small series of initially 200 vehicles from 2025. Just like its electric counterpart, it fulfils the strict criteria as a zero-emission vehicle.  

Highly efficient conventional drive in transition 

With the new PowerLion drivetrain, MAN is launching a highly efficient engine for the MAN TGX and TGS semitrailer tractors to meet the continuing demand for conventional combustion-powered trucks in the technological transition to zero-emission drives. The engine, developed specifically for MAN vehicles on the basis of the TRATON GROUP's bundled technological expertise, achieves a considerable further fuel reduction and thus a CO₂ reduction of up to 4 per cent with the MAN TipMatic 14 gearbox, which is also new, a new generation of brakes and aerodynamic measures. Over the entire service life of the vehicle, this results in an estimated cost saving of over 20,000 euros at current diesel prices and a saving of up to 35 tonnes of CO₂. In countries with a CO₂ toll, it will also be able to offer further savings on kilometre costs by classifying them in very favourable toll categories. 

State-of-the-art safety and assistance systems  

In addition to decarbonisation technologies, the focus at the IAA is on new assistance systems. While MAN has been producing the pedestrian and cyclist detection system, the third generation of the EBA emergency braking assistant and the turning assistance system to protect the most vulnerable road users for its truck series in series production since the beginning of 2024, the new version of the MAN TGE van with a wide range of new safety and assistance functions was presented at the Transpotec trade fair in May. These included the Cruise Assist Plus system with the Emergency Assist function. The emergency assistant continuously monitors the driver's activity. If this fails to materialise, the system can bring the vehicle to a standstill and then secure it (activate hazard warning flashers, issue eCall, unlock doors). 

MAN with sustainable stand construction at the IAA 2024 

The decarbonisation of road freight transport is the focus of MAN's presence at the IAA Transportation 2024. The concept of sustainability is also reflected in the design of the MAN stand in Hall 12. Reusable materials, which are returned to the cycle after the event, play a key role in the stand construction. In this way – in the spirit of the circular economy and for long-term value creation – waste is minimised and the life cycles of products and materials are extended. For example, aluminium, carpet tiles, wood and glass are used for stand fittings instead of laminate and plastic. Printed materials are reduced to a minimum and stand personnel wear paper name badges. 

The structures will be stored after the IAA and used for other trade fairs. Most of the furniture and plants are rented. Purchased plants will be planted at MAN's Munich site or set up in offices after the IAA. A precise calculation should ensure that no food is left over at the end of the day. However, if not all of the planned rations have been eaten, they will be donated to the food bank and not thrown away. Meals and snacks are handed out in paper packaging, drinks are served in cups and glasses instead of paper cups. Each MAN crew member is given a refillable water bottle, which is topped up at the water tap station. 

Further press releases on the trade fair appearance

In the download area you can download the press kit for MAN's trade fair appearance at the IAA 2024. There you will find a total of eleven press releases, each in German and English, on the following topics, as well as photos for each of the press releases. The files are numbered as follows:

1. Simplifying Business: MAN Press Kit for the IAA Transportation 2024
2. MAN's eTruck portfolio grows significantly
3. World premiere for MAN eTGL at IAA Transportation 
4. MAN expands zero-emission portfolio  
5. MAN is working with partners to accelerate the development of the charging infrastructure
6. More transparency and efficiency: innovations from MAN DigitalServices at the IAA Transportation 
7. Climate-friendly and economical: MAN Lions with new PowerLion driveline 
8. Model upgrade of the MAN TGE offers more safety and comfort   
9. MAN continues to drive forward the development of driverless trucks 
10. RUMBA research project: MAN develops interior concepts for automated trucks
11. Further boost for e-mobility through MAN FinancialServices  

Images and footage material 

You can find a comprehensive selection of images and footage material on our products at the following links:

TV footage Truck:  https://brandportal.man/share/G5BGBhish1eggKSDhyq1

TV footage Van: https://brandportal.man/share/Hn8hq5xQCx2edbHPDTrK

Images Truck: https://brandportal.man/share/etLUSzgKSeHjrF7WTYM4

Images Van: https://brandportal.man/share/tx86Js5Lo3sBoBwojq67

MAN has become the first commercial vehicle manufacturer to send an autonomous truck onto the German motorway. On board of the test truck, which drove around ten kilometres on the A9 between the Allershausen and Fürholzen junctions, were Federal Transport Minister Dr Volker Wissing and MAN CEO Alexander Vlaskamp.

MAN has been intensively driving forward the development of autonomous trucks for use in logistics hubs and for hub-to-hub traffic on motorways for some time and recently became the first commercial vehicle manufacturer to receive a Level 4 test permit based on the law on autonomous driving on German motorways.

Freight volumes and, in particular, transport between logistics hubs – such as the warehouses of large online department stores – are growing steadily. The use of autonomous trucks in this so-called hub-to-hub transport is particularly suitable for this. The trucks are always on the road, extremely efficient in terms of consumption and safe to drive. There are no driving time breaks, so the vehicles can be perfectly integrated into tightly synchronised logistics processes. In the long term, the efficient use of autonomous trucks can reduce overall operating costs by ten to 15 per cent. The new technology can also alleviate the driver shortage. There is already a shortage of up to 100,000 truck drivers in Germany alone.

”The first Level 4 test drive of an autonomous truck on a German motorway proves that Germany has taken a leading position in Europe with the law on autonomous driving. Our goal is to become the leading market for automated and connected driving. Today is a milestone for logistics in Germany. The ever-increasing volume of transport, coupled with the worsening shortage of drivers, is a challenge for society as a whole. Autonomous trucks can help to alleviate the situation. In addition, the intelligent networking of freight transport offers the opportunity to make transhipment from road to rail more efficient and thus strengthen climate-friendly combined transport”, says Dr Volker Wissing, Federal Minister for Digital Affairs and Transport.

"Today we are taking another big step towards autonomous commercial vehicles, the second major future field alongside the switch to CO₂-free drives. This year, we are initially running tests with prototypes on the motorway. Further hub-to-hub projects will follow from 2025, but then in typical customer applications. We are thus taking the next development step towards series production of autonomous trucks towards the end of the decade. The law on autonomous driving gives our industry the necessary planning security. To realise autonomous driving, however, we also need to work closely with infrastructure operators such as Autobahn GmbH. Only together can we put autonomous driving on the road," says Alexander Vlaskamp, Chairman of the Executive Board of MAN Truck & Bus SE.

"Autobahn GmbH des Bundes plays a central role in autonomous driving on German motorways," explains Dirk Brandenburger, Technical Managing Director of Autobahn GmbH des Bundes. "We not only approve autonomous driving on certain motorway sections, but also actively promote networking and communication between motorway infrastructure and vehicles with so-called cooperative intelligent transport systems. This is of crucial importance for the authorisation and therefore the safety of autonomous vehicles on the road."

For the test drive of the first autonomous truck, Autobahn GmbH examined MAN's concept as part of the application for a test licence before the Federal Motor Transport Authority officially granted MAN approval at the beginning of April. In future, Autobahn GmbH will also be responsible for approving operating areas on motorways for the series approval of autonomous vehicles. The vehicle operator specifies the routes on which its vehicles with autonomous driving functions are to drive, and Autobahn GmbH then checks whether these routes are suitable for the operation of these vehicles with autonomous driving functions.

MAN with many years of development expertise in autonomous driving

MAN has been driving autonomous driving forward for many years with various research and development projects. From 2017 to 2019, MAN developed and tested electronically coupled trucks in a joint research and development project with DB Schenker. These particularly safe and fuel-efficient platoons were used for more than six months in regular general cargo transport on the A9 motorway between Neufahrn and Nuremberg. From 2019 to 2023, the ANITA project with partners Deutsche Bahn, Fresenius University of Applied Sciences and Götting KG focused on the complete digital integration of an autonomous truck into the logistics process of container handling from road to rail. And since 2022, MAN has been working together with Autobahn GmbH and other partners from industry, science and technical testing in the ATLAS-L4 project to develop an autonomous truck for use in motorway transport between logistics hubs. The project is thus specifically implementing the law on autonomous driving passed in Germany in 2021, which already allows driverless driving on clearly defined routes and with technical supervision. Practical test drives of the prototype with a safety driver on the motorway are planned at the end of the project. To date, MAN has filed 133 patent applications in the field of autonomous driving, 33 of which have already been granted. By participating in the @CITY, BeIntelli and MINGA projects, MAN is also involved in the development of automated driving for city buses.

MAN Truck & Bus continues to drive forward the development of driverless transport between logistics hubs. The technology has the potential to reduce fatigue accidents, alleviate the increasing shortage of drivers and make transport processes even more efficient and environmentally friendly. In order to further intensify the development towards real-life logistics applications, MAN agreed to a collaboration with the US specialist for automated driving systems Plus. This is part of an overarching development partnership for autonomous driving between MAN parent company TRATON and Plus, which includes as well other brands of the TRATON GROUP.

"In the application-oriented development of autonomous trucks, project partnerships with logistics users, infrastructure operators and technology specialists are essential for MAN. With Plus, we have gained a proven specialist for automated driving systems in commercial vehicle applications as a partner. The aim is to increasingly integrate driverless driving with practical projects in concrete hub-to-hub logistics transport and thus accelerate the series introduction of autonomous driving systems," says Lukas Walter, Head of Sales Truck at MAN Truck & Bus SE.

“We are excited to leverage our industry-leading autonomous driving software and deployment experience to accelerate the global commercialization of driverless trucks with MAN. Through our combined expertise, we will bring to market safer, more efficient and more sustainable transportation solutions. This will transform how freight is moved,” adds Shawn Kerrigan, COO and CO-Founder of Plus.

MAN has been advancing autonomous driving for many years with various research and development projects. From 2018 to 2020, MAN developed and tested a driverless truck in container handling on the premises of the Port of Hamburg in a joint research and development project with Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG. From 2019 to 2023, the ANITA project with partners Deutsche Bahn, Hochschule Fresenius, University of Applied Sciences, and Götting KG focused on the complete digital integration of an autonomous truck into the logistics process of container handling from road to rail. And since 2022, MAN has been working with twelve partners from industry, science, technical testing and road operations in the ATLAS-L4 project to develop an autonomous truck for use in motorway transport between logistics hubs.

The project thus specifically addresses the law on autonomous driving passed in Germany in 2021, which already allows driverless driving on defined routes with technical supervision. Practical test drives of the prototype with a safety driver on the motorway are planned for the end of the project. From 2025 onwards, further projects in specific customer transport applications will drive development towards series application.

About Plus

Plus is a global provider of autonomous driving software solutions that span driver-in next generation safety systems to highly automated PlusDrive^Ⓡ and driver-out SuperDrive^TM. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, California with operations in the U.S., Europe, and Australia, Plus is named by Forbes as one of America’s Best Startup Employers and by Fast Company as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies. Plus’s Open Platform for Autonomy is already powering vehicles in commercial use today. Partners including Bosch, dm-drogerie markt, DSV, IVECO, Luminar, Nikola, Scania / MAN / Navistar of the TRATON GROUP, and Transurban are working with Plus to accelerate next-generation transportation solutions. For more information, visit www.plus.ai.

"Bringing the future on the road" is the motto of this year's mobility move. The 15th VDV electric bus conference and exhibition will take place in Berlin from March 5 to 7. This year's event will focus on the topics of autonomous driving, digitalization, fire safety and refuelling and charging infrastructure - with the electric bus taking center stage. In keeping with this, MAN Truck & Bus will be showcasing the fully electric city bus from the "BeIntelli" automation project at its stand and talking about eMobility as well as autonomous driving in the city bus sector.

"Our eBus, which we are exhibiting at mobility move, is a perfect fit for the event. After all, we are presenting two strategic future fields in one: electromobility and automation," says Darko Simeunovic, Head of Sales Bus at MAN Truck & Bus Germany, adding: "The MAN Lion's City E will soon be driving automated through Berlin's city center as part of BeIntelli. The pilot project will therefore certainly provide plenty to talk about and discuss at the event."

BeIntelli: Automated MAN electric bus soon on the road in Berlin

MAN is implementing the "BeIntelli" project together with the DAI-Labor at the Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin) and IAV GmbH Ingenieurgesellschaft Auto und Verkehr, which is taking place as part of ZEKI | Zentrum für Erlebbare KI und Digitalisierung (Center of Tangible AI and Digitalization). The aim is to make it possible to experience an intelligent traffic system with automated vehicles. The MAN Lion's City 12 E is equipped with an Automated Driving System (ADS) from ZEKI with around 60 sensors (cameras, ultrasound, radar, 3D lidar) that monitor traffic and the traffic area. Screens and other communication components have also been installed in the "explanatory bus" so that driving skills, decisions and technologies can be visualized and explained to passengers. It is currently still undergoing test drives in non-public areas. The urban test area, in which the automated bus will operate with a safety driver on board from the spring, stretches from the Brandenburger Tor to Ernst-Reuter-Platz, Gedächtniskirche and Adenauerplatz. Equipped with state-of-the-art sensor technology, it represents a completely digitalized route. With an interactive bus stop for digitized public transport and further infrastructure for the automated vehicle fleet, "BeIntelli" presents and explains the current state of research.

"Whether automated driving, emission-free drives or digitalization - the technological change in the transport and logistics industry has clearly picked up speed. We have strategically set the course to continue driving this change. In this way and with pioneering solutions, we are heading resolutely towards the future," explains Heinz Kiess, Head of Product Marketing Bus at MAN Truck & Bus. "As a strong brand within the TRATON GROUP and the Volkswagen Group, we at MAN benefit greatly from the synergies within the Group in our consistent focus on future fields."

Presentations and discussions by and with MAN experts

Jana Kirchen, Product Strategy Manager Automation at MAN Truck & Bus, will provide concrete insights into the world of autonomous driving and intelligent driver assistance systems in the panel discussion "Are there niches for Level 2+?" on March 7, 2024 at 9 am. Mustafa Tasaltin, SVP Engineering, Product and Project Management Bus at MAN Truck & Bus, will address the topic of eMobility in his presentation "News from Vehicle Technology & Systems" on March 6, 2024 at 1:30 pm.

The experts from MAN Transport Solutions and MAN DigitalServices will also be represented at the MAN stand at mobility move. Since 2018, the MAN Transport Solutions team has been offering customers in many industries support in converting their fleets to zero-emission vehicles (ZEV). The entire conversion process is considered with a 360° analysis. The aim is to ensure a successful transition to electromobility with as little effort as possible for operators. With the solutions from MAN DigitalServices, customers benefit from digital fleet management and thus optimize the efficiency of the entire fleet. They are offered a comprehensive range of telematics and fleet management services as well as digital solutions in the area of eMobility/Charging & Battery. In addition, the digital portfolio of services is being continuously expanded, with MAN's main focus being on aligning the existing portfolio even more closely with the topic of eMobility. "Mobility today must be social, sustainable, ecological and economical. With our buses, but also with our digital solutions, we are making an important contribution to meeting the challenges in terms of emissions, traffic volume and affordable mobility for all," Kiess makes clear.

Bus drivers take center stage

The "Favorite Bus Driver" competition will also be launched at mobility move. The initiative of DB Regio, passenger association PRO Bahn, the Federal Association of German Bus Companies (bdo, Bundesverband Deutscher Omnibusunternehmen e.V.) and the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV, Verband Deutscher Verkehrsunternehmen) is taking place for the second time and puts the focus of the industry on dedicated female and male drivers. Last year, around 2,300 entries were received from passengers who submitted their favorite bus drivers. MAN Truck & Bus is supporting the competition again this year. At the kick-off event at mobility move on March 6, an eye-catching MAN eBus will be in the spotlight.

About mobility move

mobility move started out as the "VDV electric bus conference and exhibition ElekBu" and is now Germany's largest conference and trade fair for road-based public mobility. It serves as a meeting place for transport companies, industry, service providers, public transport authorities, politicians, associations and trade media.

Presentations and panel discussions at a glance:

"News from vehicle technology & systems" 
Date: 06.03.2024 at 1:30 pm 
Location: E-Bus Forum 2 
Speaker: Mustafa Tasaltin, SVP Engineering, Product and Project Management Bus 

"Are there niches for Level 2+?" 
Date: 07.03.2024 09:00 - 09:30 am 
Location: Forum Autonomous Driving 
Speaker: Jana Kirchen, Product Strategy Manager Automation

MAN Truck & Bus has received the "Truck Innovation Award 2024" from the International Truck of the Year jury. The commercial vehicle manufacturer was honoured for its research and development projects in the field of autonomous driving - ANITA and ATLAS-L4. In his laudatory speech, jury chairman Gianenrico Griffini, representing 25 international truck trade journalists, emphasised "the advanced characteristics of both projects, the contribution to hub-to-hub and intermodal transport automation, and the fruitful project cooperation between MAN Truck & Bus, logistics providers, component suppliers, research institutions, and public infrastructure operators" as essential for the Truck Innovation Award 2024 to be presented to the MAN projects ANITA and ATLAS-L4 for autonomous driving.

„The award is not only a great honour for ANITA and ATLAS-L4 and the partners involved. It is also an acknowledgement of the achievements of all our colleagues at MAN, who have been driving automated driving forward with great expertise and passion for many years. Alongside digitalisation and CO2-free drives, this is the third key pillar in the transformation to the climate-friendly, safe, efficient and intelligently networked transport of the future. From 2030, we want to offer autonomous trucks in series production for transport on defined routes between logistics hubs," says Dr Frederik Zohm, Executive Board Member for Research and Development at MAN Truck & Bus.

Autonomous trucks are particularly useful for transport on motorways between logistics centres (hub-to-hub): they increase safety by helping to avoid rear-end collisions caused by fatigue, are always particularly energy-efficient and stabilise the logistics flow thanks to their independence from individual driving time breaks. They can also help to alleviate the driver shortage by freeing up drivers for more varied and attractive transport tasks in regional and distribution transport.

ATLAS-L4: autonomous driving on the motorway

"In the ATLAS-L4 project, we are developing autonomous driving on the motorway specifically for the hub-to-hub use case. We are using the framework of the law on autonomous driving passed in Germany in 2021, which already allows the use of driverless lorries on defined routes with technical supervision. We want to test a corresponding prototype vehicle on the road by the end of 2024," says Sebastian Völl, Project Manager Autonomous Driving at MAN Truck & Bus. Since January 2022, MAN Truck & Bus, Knorr-Bremse, Leoni, Bosch, Fernride, BTC Embedded Systems, Fraunhofer AISEC, Technische Universität München, Technische Universität Braunschweig, TÜV SÜD, Autobahn GmbH and the Würzburg Institute of Transport Sciences (WIVW GmbH) have been working together on the research and development project "Autonomous Transport on Motorways and Expressways at Level 4" (ATLAS-L4), which is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection.

ANITA: autonomous driving in a container hub

Together with Deutsche Bahn, Fresenius University of Applied Sciences and Götting KG, MAN investigated the integration of autonomous trucks within logistics hubs as part of the "Autonomous Innovation in Terminal Operations" (ANITA) research and development project, which is also funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection. To this end, MAN developed a self-driving lorry that autonomously handles container loading from road to rail with the help of digital mission planning. After six months of practical tests conducted jointly with the partners at the DB Intermodal Services container depot and the DUSS container terminal in Ulm, it was clear at the end of the project in September 2023 that the autonomous truck was up to 40 per cent more productive than conventional vehicles and thus showed great potential to make environmentally friendly combined road and rail freight transport more efficient, predictable and flexible. "The special thing about ANITA was the complete digital integration of the autonomous lorry into the terminal process. This is a general prerequisite for the use of autonomous trucks in logistics," says Amelie Jacquemart-Purson, ANITA project manager at MAN Truck & Bus.

Second Truck Innovation Award for MAN Truck & Bus

This is the second time that the prestigious Truck Innovation Award 2024 has gone to an MAN automation project. In 2019, the automated construction site safety vehicle AFAS won the coveted industry prize at its very first edition.

About the international Truck of the Year

The International Truck of the Year (IToY) award was initially launched in 1977 by the British journalist and legendary editor of TRUCK magazine Pat Kennett. Today, the 24 jury members represent leading commercial vehicle magazines throughout Europe. Moreover, in the last few years, the IToY Group has extended its influence by appointing 'associate members in the growing truck markets of China, India, South Africa, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Iran, New Zealand, Israel, and Malaysia. The combined truck operator readership of the 24 IToY full-jury members' magazines and those of its ten associate members exceeds 1,100,000.

Step by step, the driverless truck is becoming a reality: Since January 2022, MAN Truck & us, Knorr-Bremse, Leoni, Bosch, Fernride, BTC Embedded Systems, Fraunhofer AISEC, Munich University of Technology, Braunschweig University of Technology, TÜV SÜD, Autobahn GmbH and the Würzburg Institute of Transportation Sciences (WIVW GmbH) have been working together in the ATLAS-L4 research and development project (Automatisierter Transport zwischen Logistikzentren auf Schnellstraßen im Level 4 / Automated Transport between Logistics Centers on Level 4 Expressways) to put autonomous trucks on the road. In terms of content, the project is based on the German law on autonomous driving passed in 2021, which in principle allows autonomous driving on defined routes under a technical supervision. After the first 22 months, the project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection, has already reached important milestones.

"ATLAS-L4 will soon be the first autonomously driving truck on a highway in Germany," says Dr. Frederik Zohm, Executive Board Member for Research and Development at MAN Truck & Bus, describing the common goal of the twelve ATLAS-L4 project partners. "In this way, we want to contribute to hub-to-hub automation, i.e. driverless commuting between logistics yards, and thus to greater safety, greater efficiency and less congestion on the roads - automation concepts can also be used to counter the shortage of drivers."

What has been achieved since the start of the project?

The partners jointly presented the results of their work to date at a project event in Munich on October 24, 2023.

As part of its project responsibility for overall system development, MAN Truck & Bus has now built a prototype vehicle. It features sensors on the roof, front, and sides of the driver's cab, as well as built-in computers inside. In the first stage, it will be used as a sensor vehicle to collect data before the functional development for autonomous driving begins with it, including initial test drives on the highway with a safety driver. The vehicle has already successfully covered its first kilometers at MAN's Munich test site. Functionalities and interfaces were put to the test: for the first time, the components communicated with each other and, for the first time, the sensors performed a realistic environment detection.

The safety-relevant subsystems for the Level 4 architecture - the vehicle electrical system, steering system and redundant braking system - have also been designed and successfully tested in the first prototypes.

Another milestone to which the project team has already been able to add a tick: The Control Center for technical supervision was successfully commissioned in September 2023 and the connection to the vehicle installed. The web interface now displays the vehicle on a map with all relevant information such as speed and automation status.

Furthermore, MAN and the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC successfully conducted the risk analysis for the vehicle that accompanied the project. On this basis, cybersecurity measures such as authentic and encrypted communication as well as functional security measures such as redundancies and degradation concepts were defined for the autonomous driving system. In the process, extensive attack and failure scenarios are run through and corresponding protection concepts are developed.

The next steps

The next major milestone is the premiere on public roads: The test vehicle is expected to take its first trips on the highway before the end of the year - naturally also with a safety driver on board.

All milestones contribute to the long-term goal of ATLAS-L4: proving that the use of Level 4 automated and thus driverless vehicles on the highway is feasible. This is the cornerstone for future series applications for a Logistics 4.0 - made possible by the network provided by the strong consortium of ATLAS-L4. The project will run until December 2024, at the end of which there should be an industry-ready concept for the operation of automated trucks on the highway.

The mobility of tomorrow should be one thing above all: sustainable, connected and autonomous. Public transport, and buses in particular, make an important contribution to meeting people's changing mobility needs. In order to take into account the increasing traffic volumes, to relieve cities and to support bus companies in the best possible way, innovative and future-proof vehicles and services are needed - for urban, intercity and long-distance transport. With its MAN and NEOPLAN brands, MAN Truck & Bus already offers suitable solutions for a wide range of applications. A selection of these can be seen at the Busworld Europe 2023 trade fair in Brussels from 7 to 12 October. Visitors can expect to see a total of five innovative buses on the MAN stand in Hall 4 - including two world premieres. "The vehicles and numerous innovations in equipment and technology as well as modern services clearly show that MAN is consistently and successfully following the path towards sustainable, automated and digitalised transport," says Barbaros Oktay, Head of Bus at MAN Truck & Bus.

MAN Lion's City 10 E: Impresses with compact dimensions, sustainability and impressive performance

In public transport in particular, sustainable solutions are more in demand than ever. Together with partners and customers, MAN is therefore driving sustainable mobility forward and is committed to the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. By 2050 at the latest, the company wants to become greenhouse gas neutral in terms of its balance sheet. "We at MAN are convinced that the future belongs to emission-free vehicles. That's why we are consistently pursuing the path towards sustainable public transport and are fully committed to electric drive - and our MAN Lion's City E," says Oktay and adds: "The sales figures show how well this is being received. The 1,000th eBus recently rolled off the production line." Fittingly, MAN is showing the Lion's City 10 E, the latest model in the MAN electric bus family, at Busworld. The midibus version with a length of 10.5 metres has been in production at MAN's Polish city bus plant in Starachowice since the beginning of 2023. Among other things, the compact size of the all-electric city bus will attract attention. This is because it can play to its strengths especially in the increasing use of customer-oriented "on-demand" services and as an amplifier at high-frequency times as well as a manoeuvrable city centre shuttle. After all, the city bus has a similar passenger capacity to many 12-metre solo buses, but requires significantly less traffic space in narrow city centres and depots and is much more manoeuvrable. The exhibit on the Busworld stand also impresses with an individual rear lounge and thus offers the right solution for comfortable and at the same time sustainable shuttle needs. The fact that the MAN Lion's City 10 E with its record-breaking turning circle and compact dimensions is also an ideal solution for demanding routes was recently proven by a practical test through alpine terrain in the South Tyrolean Dolomites. On the 531 km tour, the eBus covered over 10,000 metres in altitude and consumed an average of 0.77 kWh per kilometre. The Lion's City E achieved these top values in terms of efficiency thanks to innovative technology and a remarkable recuperation rate of over 50 percent.

MAN Lion's City 12 E LE: Electric low-entry version celebrates premiere

The Lion's City 12 E LE will celebrate its world premiere at Busworld 2023. The first electric MAN low-entry bus will be launched this year. It is based on the award-winning electric 12-metre solo bus with central drive and modular batteries, but ensures a particularly high level of seating comfort with the floor landscape adapted to customer feedback. With up to 41 passenger seats plus special use space for wheelchairs and prams and an engine tower-free rear landscape in low-entry design, the Lion's City 12 E LE is perfect for suburban lines with Class 1 approval. "In particular, the fact that the seats in the rear of the vehicle are all facing in the direction of travel ensures that passengers are comfortable even on longer journeys," says Heinz Kiess, Head of Bus Product Marketing at MAN Truck & Bus.

MAN Lion's Intercity LE 14: low-entry series now on three axles

World premiere number 2: Visitors to Busworld can expect to see another new vehicle on the MAN stand, the Lion's Intercity LE 14. The three-axle vehicle with significantly more capacity completes MAN's successful low-entry series. This means that the Lion's Intercity LE is now available in three sizes - a cost-effective and modern entry-level model for intercity and urban transport that offers bus operators maximum flexibility. With its length of 14.43 metres, the new Lion's Intercity LE 14 is one of the shortest vehicles in the popular three-axle bus market. And yet it offers space for up to 63 seats and a maximum of 127 passengers. Thanks to the steered and relievable trailing axle, it has a compact turning circle of 23.8 metres. Optionally, the bus is available with a third door at the rear - this is the variant it will be presented in at Busworld. There is also a choice of two versions of the ultra-modern digital cockpit. In addition, there is comprehensive safety equipment that is second to none and will be introduced in all MAN buses in model year 2024 on the basis of a new electronics platform. The Lion's Intercity LE 14 will also be equipped with the proven MAN EfficientHybrid drive with market-leading automatic stop-start system for all engines.

MAN Lion's Coach: more comfortable, safer and more efficient

Another eye-catcher on the stand is the MAN Lion's Coach. Numerous top teams in competitive sport travel comfortably and safely with this successful model among coaches. Visitors to the fair will experience a Lion's Coach with a length of 12 metres and 44 seats. The coach also features a wide range of innovations for the 2024 model year: from next year, for example, the vehicles will be based on a completely newly developed electronics platform, which will entail the introduction of a new digital driver's workplace. This can be seen for the first time at Busworld. The new cockpits with the innovative SmartSelect operating system meet the highest ergonomic standards and can be operated intuitively, which significantly relieves the drivers. The electronics platform also enables numerous new assistance and safety systems - including radar-based turn-off assistance and lane change assistance as well as lane departure warning and lane departure warning. The Lion's Coach is powered by the new MAN D26 coach engine in Euro 6e exhaust quality, which is particularly economical: despite an increase of ten hp and around 50 Newton metres more torque at peak, the highly developed 12.4-litre unit now consumes up to 2.5 percent less fuel overall. Another innovation is the further developed topographical gearshift programme EfficientCruise 3, which is optionally available for coaches of the MAN and NEOPLAN brands.

MAN TGE Coach: Made for small travel groups

The MAN portfolio at the stand is rounded off by a MAN TGE Coach. The 7.4-metre-long vehicle impresses with its size, its low consumption values - especially on the motorway - and its performance. With 177 hp (130 kW) and a rich maximum torque of 410 Newton metres, the journey can even take in challenging terrain - and that for up to 16 passengers. This is because the exclusive minibus can be equipped with 16 seats in various configurations, making it perfect for small travel groups and shuttle services. The ergonomically designed driver's workplace in combination with the numerous safety assistance systems ensures that driver and passengers reach their destination as relaxed as possible.

NEOPLAN Skyliner and Cityliner in the outdoor area

In the outdoor area - in the immediate vicinity of the MAN exhibition stand in Hall 4 - visitors can expect to see two NEOPLAN Skyliners, one of which has an exclusive bistro concept, and a NEOPLAN Cityliner "Diamond Edition". In addition, a MAN Lion's City 10 E, a MAN Lion's City 12 E - both equipped with MAN OptiView - a NEOPLAN Tourliner and a MAN TGE Coach will be available for test drives together with the experts from MAN ProfiDrive®.

Smart solutions: MAN Transport Solutions and MAN DigitalServices

Visitors to Busworld can experience the buses live on the MAN stand and also find out about MAN's extensive services. One focus is on electric mobility: in addition to future-proof vehicles, MAN offers a holistic eMobility package and all-round advice for customers switching to eMobility. This involves looking at the entire process of the changeover with a 360° analysis. The aim is to ensure that the switch to electromobility is successful and involves as little effort as possible for the operators. In total, the MAN team has already successfully completed more than 250 projects in 19 European countries in the truck, bus and van sectors, building up an enormous amount of know-how in the process. But MAN also supports customers with expertise and digital tools after the acquisition of buses. MAN DigitalServices are designed to help simplify processes, optimise the efficiency of the entire fleet, save operating costs and increase sustainability. True to the motto "Simplifying Business", the customers' business is to be simplified as much as possible. In order to achieve this, the digital portfolio of services is being continuously expanded. Customers also have the opportunity to test MAN DigitalServices for three months free of charge. The trial offer can be used once per new and existing customer; the free trial period ends automatically and does not need to be cancelled.

Visit MAN Truck & Bus at Busworld 2023 from 7 to 12 October at the exhibition stand in Brussels (Hall 4, Stand 401). 

Here you will find the full press kit with comprehensive information and images: 
Press kit: MAN at Busworld Europe 2023

Overview of press releases in the press kit:

1. MAN impresses with efficient, safe and sustainable line-up at Busworld Europe 2023
2. Milestone for sustainable mobility - 1,000 MAN electric buses produced
3. Even more flexibility, efficiency and range: MAN drives development forward for Lion’s City E
4. Greater comfort, safer and more efficient: numerous new features are being introduced for MAN and NEOPLAN buses in model year 2024
5. MAN Lion’s Intercity LE 14: Low Entry series continues its success story on three axles
6. The NEOPLAN Tourliner: a fixture on European roads for 20 years
7. MAN DigitalServices: smart digital solutions for greater efficiency and sustainability in the bus business
8. For the urban transport of the future: MAN systematically drives forward the automation of its buses

To this end, the project partners have put an autonomously driving truck on wheels that can independently handle container shipments from road to rail with the help of digital mission planning. The research project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection, ran for a total of three years, around six months of which the experts tested the vehicle in practical use at the DB Intermodal Services Container Depot and DUSS Container Terminal in Ulm.

"When developing autonomous driving systems, concrete logistics applications and customer benefits are our focus from the very beginning. That is why we at ANITA have not only worked on the development of automated driving in a container terminal, but at the same time, together with our partners, have pushed ahead with the digital integration of the technology into the logistics process. Only in this way will we be able to make meaningful use of the advantages of autonomous trucks in the future: the gain in safety, the greater flexibility - especially in view of the increasing shortage of drivers - the good combinability with other modes of transport and, of course, the optimum energy efficiency in operation, which will become particularly important in connection with electromobility. For MAN, ANITA is an important basis for putting autonomous trucks on the road as series solutions in transport operations between logistics hubs such as in Ulm from 2030 onwards," says Dr. Frederik Zohm, Executive Board Member for Research & Development at MAN Truck & Bus.

The intensive test drives with safety drivers and development engineers not only provided comprehensive insights for the continuous refinement of the autonomous driving function and its interaction with mission planning, but also for the necessary preparation of the terminals for the integration of the new technology.

"Combined transport will continue to grow in the coming years and play an important role in shifting traffic to environmentally friendly rail. To achieve this, the complex processes in the terminals must be made more efficient and accelerated. This can only be achieved if we continue to automate and digitize logistics processes. The completion of the ANITA project today impressively demonstrated what the future could look like in the terminals. The autonomous truck works in real terminal operations and can thus make a decisive contribution to the future viability of combined transport," says Dr. Martina Niemann, DB Cargo AG Board Member for Finance, Controlling and Supply Management.

In order for the autonomous truck of the ANITA project to be able to fulfill its transport task in container handling, it must be able to communicate with the infrastructure of the DB IS depot and the DUSS terminal. To this end, the scientists at Fresenius University of Applied Sciences analyzed the existing processes, procedures and behaviors of people and machines on site in the first phase of the project and transferred them into a digital set of rules. Deon Digital's Contract Specification Language (CSL) serves as a common language for the clear and complete communication of all systems involved. The result is a complete mission planning system that links both the vehicle and the IT systems of DB IS-Depot and DUSS-Terminal.

Like a universal interpreter, the solution speaks the languages of all heterogeneous systems and guides the automated truck through the process of container handling, as Prof. Dr. Christian T. Haas, Director of the Institute for Complex Systems Research at Hochschule Fresenius University of Applied Sciences, explains: "We have here a communication-intensive multi-agent system, i.e. different actors such as truck drivers, crane operators, forklift drivers use different forms of communication such as speech, gestures, etc., and in the process transmit the information they classify as relevant. Since in autonomous transfers it is not the driver who 'talks' to the dispatcher, but the truck with databases or other machines, a digital communication system - i.e. one that machines can understand - had to be developed for the mission to work. This was a high development effort, but one that has now led to success and the corresponding productivity gains."

Die Götting KG brachte ins Projekt in Ergänzung zu MAN ihre Expertise im Bereich der Objektortung und Umgebungserfassung ein, um die künftige Übertragbarkeit auf andere Logistikhubs und Erweiterungsfähigkeit für zusätzliche Einsatzszenarien zu ermöglichen. „Damit fahrerlose Fahrzeuge noch attraktiver werden, arbeiten wir weiter an sicherer Hinderniserkennung für größere Reichweiten und Geschwindigkeiten“, so Hans-Heinrich Götting, Geschäftsführer der Götting KG, zum Abschluss des ANITA-Projektes.

Götting KG contributed its expertise in object location and environment detection to the project in addition to MAN to enable future transferability to other logistics hubs and expandability for additional deployment scenarios. "To make driverless vehicles even more attractive, we are continuing to work on safe obstacle detection for greater ranges and speeds," says Hans-Heinrich Götting, Managing Director of Götting KG, at the conclusion of the ANITA project.

The detailed project results will be summarized in a detailed project report and published after the end of the project.

More about ANITA: https://www.anita.digital

MAN has invited customers, said a delighted Friedrich Baumann, Executive Board Member for Sales and Customer Solutions at MAN Truck & Bus at the Truck Champion awards ceremony.

At the beginning of May, MAN Truck & Bus announced the "MAN Truck Champions 2023" competition. Owners and drivers of MAN trucks with a gross vehicle weight of more than 18 tonnes, decorated, personalised or customised on the exterior or interior, were eligible to compete for the title of the most beautiful MAN truck in Europe.

The most beautiful MAN truck in Europe comes from Poland

260 participants from 18 countries answered the call and submitted pictures and descriptions of their visually special vehicles: The impressive range of truck beauties ranged from artistically valuable airbrushes on the sides of the driver's cab to a MAN TGX 18.640 in gold paint. From 31 May to 11 June, public votes could be cast on the social networks Facebook and Instagram as well as on the channels and websites of "Trucker's World by MAN". After that, the most beautiful trucks in each individual country were determined. The top 5 participants, including the winner at European level, were also determined by a public vote on the same channels from 15 to 25 June.

European winner Paweł Pabich was visibly proud at the MAN Truck Champions finals when his vehicle - an all-white MAN TGX - was awarded "Most Beautiful MAN in Europe". "The interior items are my own design and were made to measure. The beautiful snow white, the lighting and all the innovative additions that can be seen from afar make my truck unique and original," said the lucky winner about his "White Lion".

MAN Trucknology Festival 2023: A festival for the team players of logistics

The MAN Trucknology Festival, which took place from 6 to 8 July at MAN Truck & Bus in the Truck Forum and on the neighbouring test track, provided a worthy setting for the grand finale, to which the three participants with the most votes arrived with their prize-winning trucks.

MAN had invited customers, body manufacturers and members of the "Trucker's World by MAN" driver community to the exclusive event to experience around 220 trucks, vans and body solutions at first hand. All segments were represented, from distribution and long-distance transport, construction, food and heavy haulage as well as municipal and fire services, across the tonnage range from 3.5 to 250 tonnes.

Visitors not only learned about sustainable and intelligent transport solutions from MAN Truck & Bus and its approximately 75 partners on site, including Continental, Fliegl Trailer, Humbaur, Kögel, Krone, Liebherr, Schmitz Cargobull and Würth. They also received detailed first-hand information about MAN Services & Solutions and current trends in the transport industry: digitalisation, automation and zero emissions. Moderated demonstrations and dynamic vehicle presentations made the innovative technologies an exciting live experience.

And of course the visitors were also allowed to take the wheel themselves and test drive some models on the MAN test track and on the road. Also there for the first time: the new high-range MAN electric truck for all applications, for which 500 orders have already been received.

Three days, happy winners and many emotions made by MAN Truck & Bus, which underlined the sustainable potential of transport solutions from Munich and at the same time made it clear: Trucks are a mainstay of supply worldwide - day after day.

Overview of press releases in the press kit:

1. Electric, digital, autonomous: MAN shows future-proof solutions at the UITP Summit 2023
2. Electric and successful! MAN eBuses in the fast lane
3. Getting straight to the point: The new fully electric MAN Lion’s City 10 E is compact master of agility
4. Resource-saving battery use and recycling
5. MAN Truck & Bus to make city buses autonomous with Mobileye

Sustainable solutions in public transport are more in demand than ever. The Paris Climate Agreement demands that global warming be limited to well below two degrees. In addition, Europe is to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. "The climate crisis is considered one of the biggest and most important challenges facing the global community and poses major challenges for politicians, transport operators and also for us," says Barbaros Oktay, Head of Bus at MAN Truck & Bus, and adds: "We at MAN are convinced that the future belongs to emission-free vehicles. That's why we are consistently moving towards sustainable public transport and are fully committed to electric drive - and our MAN Lion's City E."

In keeping with this, MAN Truck & Bus will be showing the Lion's City 10 E, the latest model in the MAN electric bus family, at this year's UITP Global Public Transport Summit, which is taking place in Barcelona from 4 to 7 June. The midibus version with a length of 10.5 metres, which has been in production at MAN's Polish city bus plant in Starachowice since the beginning of 2023, can be seen in Hall 6, Stand 6A100. Among other things, the compact size of the all-electric city bus will attract attention. This is because it can play to its strengths especially in the increasing use of customer-oriented "on-demand" services and as an amplifier at high-frequency times as well as a manoeuvrable city centre shuttle. After all, the city bus has a similar passenger capacity to many 12-metre solo buses, but requires significantly less traffic space in narrow city centres and depots and is also much more manoeuvrable.

MAN Lion's City E is "Bus of the Year 2023"

The Lion's City 10 E is based on the construction kit of its big brother, the Lion's City 12 E, which 23 European trade journalists voted international "Bus of the Year 2023" last year in Limerick, Ireland. They were particularly enthusiastic about the overall concept of the city bus, which scores points for its range, reliability, comfort and, above all, sustainability. It is precisely this overall concept that makes the MAN eBus, which is also available in an 18-metre version, so popular with operators, drivers and passengers. In the meantime, it is successfully in use all over Europe.

Incidentally, the width, height and overhangs of the Lion's City 10 E have remained unchanged compared to the Lion's City 12 E, as has the concept of the engine tower-free rear, which provides four more seats (maximum 33 seats and 80 passengers in total) than the few competitors in the segment. The body was "shortened" exclusively between the axles, where a window module was removed. The result: the overall length was reduced to 10.5 metres and around 350 kilograms of weight were saved. Despite this significant shortening, there is still room for a wheelchair or pram in the standing platform. A third door is also possible, with which there are still 29 seats available and the passenger flow is once again significantly improved.

360°consultation and digital services for the switch to eMobility

In addition to future-proof vehicles, MAN Truck & Bus also relies on a highly qualified team of more than 75 eMobility experts throughout Europe and employee training courses with a focus on new technologies as well as all-round consultation for customers switching to eMobility. Since 2018, the MAN Transport Solutions team has been offering customers in many industries support in converting their fleets to zero-emission vehicles. This involves looking at the entire process of the changeover with a 360° analysis. The aim is to ensure the changeover to electromobility is successful and with as little effort as possible for the operators. In total, the team has already successfully completed more than 250 projects in 19 European countries in the truck, bus and van sectors, building up an enormous amount of know-how in the process.

But even after the switch to e-vehicles, the experts at MAN are still there to support customers with expertise and digital tools. With the MAN eManager as a smart digital central command system, fleet managers have battery, room temperature and other vehicle parameters conveniently under control from their desks. In line with the motto "Simplifying Business", charging management for the electric fleet becomes more transparent, simpler and more efficient thanks to targeted monitoring and flexible remote operation. MAN eManager also guarantees high vehicle availability and ensures that the charging status of the batteries always matches the timetable.

MAN pushes automation of buses

Another topic that plays an essential role in the transformation of the transport sector at the UITP Summit is automation. "The fact that urban bus mobility in the future will not only be emission-free and connected, but also automated, is not a general question, but merely a question of time," says Barbaros Oktay. MAN Truck & Bus is therefore pushing ahead with the automation of its buses. Together with Mobileye, the specialist for autonomous driving technology, MAN is consistently pursuing its roadmap, at the end of which is highly automated driving in city buses that is ready for series production. The first joint goal of MAN and Mobileye: the pilot operation of the first automated city bus with a safety driver is planned from 2025 as part of the MINGA research project in Munich. Dr Michael Roth, Head of Product Strategy Bus at MAN, will also talk about automation. As part of the conference programme at the UITP Summit, he will speak on the topic of "MAN's journey towards automated city buses". The lecture will take place on 5 June from 10 to 11.15 a.m. in Spotlight Forum B in Hall 6.

About the UITP Global Public Transport Summit

The UITP Global Public Transport Summit is the world's largest event dedicated to sustainable urban mobility, bringing together all transport modes, authorities and operators, as well as exhibitors. This year's event is themed "Bright Light of the City". The congress, lectures and exhibition will focus on the latest innovations, solutions and products. "It is a real concern of ours to advance the topic of sustainable mobility. That's why we are making our employees fit for the new technology, consulting our customers on how to make the switch and, with the MAN Lion's City E, we already have a very successful eBus series in our portfolio," says Robert Katzer, Head of Product & Sales Bus at MAN Truck & Bus, adding: "We are delighted that the UITP Summit offers us the perfect platform to showcase our innovative and future-proof solutions."

With the cooperation, MAN Truck & Bus is intensifying the automation of the city bus. Drivers for automated driving in the city bus sector are mainly high TCO savings and the shortage of driving personnel, which can be countered by this. At the same time, more and more smaller means of transport, starting with passenger cars, are starting to enter the market with highly automated driving. Highly automated driverless solutions in urban areas have a significantly improved economic efficiency compared to driver-assisted offers and provide safe and reliable mobility for its users. In addition, with largely automated, connected and emission-free urban transport, city dwellers benefit from better air quality, less congestion and noise, and the gain of living space that is no longer needed for parking.

Smart cooperation with a clear roadmap

The cooperation between MAN Truck & Bus and Mobileye will decisively drive further development. With Mobileye Drive™, the expert for autonomous vehicles has developed a turnkey self-driving system that is ready for scalable commercial use and has a sophisticated sensor system. It also features "safety by design" and the use of highly scalable AV maps. Mobileye will provide the Mobileye Drive™ intelligent Automated Driving System (ADS) along the planned roadmap. Meanwhile, MAN will create the necessary vehicle architecture to meet bus automation requirements.

"We are excited about the future collaboration with MAN Truck & Bus. We care about sustainable mobility solutions in both the private and public sectors and see autonomous vehicle technologies as an important contribution to making public transport safer, more efficient and more accessible. MAN Truck & Bus and Mobileye share a clear vision for autonomous mobility of the future, which is underlined by this cooperation," says Johann Jungwirth, Senior Vice President, Autonomous Vehicles at Mobileye.

Another task for MAN is to integrate the autonomous vehicles into a comprehensive ecosystem. After all, the automation of the bus in the complex urban environment means more than just the driving function: just think of other activities of the driving personnel such as communication with passengers including ticket sales, behaviour at the bus stop, de-escalation in conflict situations or also the reaction to unexpected events such as diversions or accidents. This requires intelligent solutions, which can be found above all through the increasing possibilities in the area of digitalisation.

The first automated MAN bus of the type Lion's City E is to prove itself in Munich's city traffic from as early as 2025, accompanied by a safety driver. It is to be used on bus route 144 through the Olympic Park, which is characterised by tourism and leisure, as part of the MINGA research project. In the project, which is led by the Mobility Department (Mobilitätsreferat) of the City of Munich and funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV), MAN and numerous other project partners from industry, science, administration and associations are working, among other things, on the integration of automated vehicles into the existing mobility ecosystem. Subsequently, MAN Truck & Bus is planning further pilots in actual customer use and, in perspective, full series production by the end of the decade. The fact that Germany was the first country in the world to create the legal framework for autonomous driving is a decisive advantage in this respect.

Further information on Mobileye: http://www.mobileye.com.

The population in Munich and the neighbouring districts has increased significantly in recent years. Parallel to this, the volume of traffic in the city has also increased. In order to meet this mobility challenge, new public transport services are needed - in addition to the classic scheduled services, also "on-demand" services that transport passengers comfortably and without transfers.

However, the expansion of public transport services is difficult to finance due to rising costs. In addition, the nationwide driver shortage limits the possible extension. Both problems can be solved with automated city buses: The intelligent technology not only reduces the need for personnel - the total cost of ownership (TCO) can also be reduced by up to 50 percent.

MAN Truck & Bus identified this potential at an early stage and has therefore been working intensively on the automation of its buses for years. To this end, they are equipped with an intelligent Automated Driving System (ADS) with highly developed sensor technology. MAN has already successfully tested the automated approach to bus stops in the "@CITY" project.

MINGA (Munich's Automated Local Transport with Ridepooling, Solobus and Bus-Platoons) is pursuing a similar goal. The project partners want to test the operation of highly automated modes of transport in the urban and rural public transport system. For this purpose, a ride pool with three to five automated vehicles will be set up for on-demand operation, and the scheduled operation of an automated solo bus is also planned.

Automated Lion's City E on Munich bus route

MAN is a commercial vehicle partner of the operating company Stadtwerke München (SWM) and is providing an automated and fully electric MAN Lion's City E. It will be used on bus route 144 through the Olympic Park, which is characterised by tourism and leisure. Pilot operation of this first automated city bus from MAN accompanied by a safety driver is planned from 2025. "Sustainability is a central part of our corporate strategy," says Barbaros Oktay, Head of Bus at MAN Truck & Bus. "That is why, on the one hand, we are consistently transforming our products to electric drives. On the other hand, we are pushing ahead with automation and digitalisation. The MINGA project is an important step for us on the way to the mobility transition."

Around a dozen project partners from the fields of public administration, research, business and industry are working together on the MINGA project. The mobility department of the City of Munich is responsible for the overall project as consortium leader. In addition to MAN, project partners include the University of Stuttgart, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, the Research Centre for Information Technology (FZI) as well as ioki GmbH, Ebusco Deutschland GmbH, Benz + Walter GmbH and Fryce GmbH Partner. The Pfennigparade Foundation, the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV), Yunex Traffic and the district of Munich are involved as associated partners.

In six work packages, they are dealing with, among other things, the integration of automated vehicles into the existing mobility ecosystem, on-demand services, automated bus route operation and the simulation of automated public transport. The project, which has now been launched, is scheduled to run until December 2025. It is being funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) with around 13 million euros as part of the funding guideline "Autonomous and Connected Driving in Public Transport".

The transition to sustainable, climate-neutral mobility is taking place at an ever faster pace, also and especially in the transport industry. At Stand C20 in Hall 12 at this year’s IAA Transportation, MAN is therefore focusing on the three megatrends that accompany this transformation: zero emissions for the CO₂-free transport of goods by road, digitalisation for the optimal integration of trucks into transport processes, and autonomous driving for greater safety and efficiency, targeted use of the scarce resource of drivers and the intelligent, climate-friendly combination of different modes of transport. However, actively shaping this transformation also means remaining innovative with conventional products. "With even lower fuel consumption, an even greater focus on driver needs and useful digital services, such as automatic truck payment at the filling station, we simplify our customers’ day-to-day business. We are making our production more flexible and are building our future heavy-duty eTruck on a production line with conventional vehicles in order to be able to electrify trucks or manufacture them with diesel drive, depending on our customers’ requirements. At the start of production, our new eTruck will cover all application areas, whether for the regional distribution of organic milk or long-distance transport of green steel. We will support our customers as closely as possible in their transition to e-mobility, based on our many years of expertise in the field of e-buses and vans as well as our electric eTGM in distribution transport,” explains Alexander Vlaskamp, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus, when describing the manufacturer’s approach to sustainable climate-neutral transport.

MAN eTruck

At the heart of MAN’s trade show presentation is the near-series prototype of the new MAN eTruck, which will go into service with the first customers from 2024. A technical highlight of the future-oriented “electric lion” is its preparation for future megawatt charging: high charging capacities with short charging times make the electric truck suitable for heavy-duty long-haul transport with daily ranges of between 600 and 800 kilometres, and even up to 1,000 kilometres at a later date. Together with low operating costs and the best energy balance, battery electric vehicles offer the most suitable technology for future CO₂-free commercial vehicle fleets. In terms of the variety of applications and possible body concepts, the future MAN eTruck is in no way inferior to today’s diesel truck: it will cover applications ranging from CO₂-free long-haul transport of refrigerated food and low-noise and emission-free waste disposal in the city through to the fully electric transport of materials to construction sites.

Zero emissions: holistic approach to the transition to electric power

In order to successfully convert a fleet from diesel to electric, it is necessary to perform a holistic analysis of the customer’s needs long before an electric truck is purchased. For this reason, MAN eMobility Consulting, which MAN is presenting for the first time at the IAA for the coming electric truck, includes advice on the vehicle as well as consideration of customer-specific deployment conditions such as operating phases, including cost optimisation, route analysis, fleet optimisation and, based on this, the necessary advice on the charging infrastructure. From the IAA onwards, digital tools such as the new MAN eReadyCheck can support customers in checking how their delivery routes can be driven purely electrically. In addition, the MAN eManager allows fleet managers to keep an eye on the important charging information of all trucks in the fleet at all times. They are part of the eSolutions presented by MAN Transport Solutions at the trade show, where various charging infrastructure partners will also be introduced, among other things.

Digitalisation: useful aids for everyday transport

In the area of digitalisation, MAN will give an overview of the already available extensive digital services at the IAA, and will also provide a preview of future digital services. MAN Now can already be used to update the map material for navigation and for over-the-air installation of driving functions such as MAN EfficientCruise or deployment-specific driving programs on the vehicle.

Workshop work can be carried out quickly and easily with the digital maintenance management system MAN ServiceCare, and the online efficiency monitoring function MAN Perform helps to ensure that the truck is always on the road in a fuel-efficient manner. At the IAA, MAN is also presenting the new digital payment system MAN SimplePay for the first time, which makes it much easier for drivers to visit filling stations and for fleet managers to keep track of fuel costs.

Automation: on the road to autonomous hub-to-hub transport

In addition to CO₂-free drives, autonomous driving is a key factor in the transformation to sustainable goods transport. The advantages here: fewer accidents due to human error, more flexibility and efficiency through the separation of transport processes from statutory driving and rest periods, and reduction of unattractive long-haul driving tasks in favour of demanding and varied driving activities in urban and regional traffic for the few drivers still available.

At the IAA, MAN will be using various current practical projects to explain the continuous development steps from autonomous driving on closed sites to fully autonomous driving on the motorway between logistics hubs. The ANITA project is developing the autonomous delivery and delivery of containers in a road-rail handling terminal of the cooperation partner Deutsche Bahn, which is intended to significantly increase the performance of the handling process and thus climate-friendly combined transportation. The ATLAS-L4 project, on the other hand, is already working on the concrete implementation of autonomous hub-to-hub transport tasks – this has been possible since 2022 based on the law on autonomous driving. At the end of 2024, ATLAS-L4 will be the first truck to be driven autonomously on a German motorway.

Fuel savings: up to 4% less consumption with more power

MAN is launching a new version of the D26 engine for the classic diesel drive at the IAA. Depending on the application, the all-rounder for long-haul transport, heavy-duty distribution applications and construction site transport consumes up to 3% less fuel than the already very economical version – and at the same time offers an increase in torque by 50 Nm and a further 10 hp for all power variants. An additional saving for long-haul transport is provided by new aerodynamic measures for the MAN TGX, which further reduce drag in the air flow around the cab, and also include extensions that improve the transition of the air flow to the semitrailer. Together with the engine savings, this enables fuel savings of up to 4% in long-haul transport.

Focus on the driver and more safety for everyone

Fresh for the IAA Transportation 2022, MAN is also bringing even more emotion to its existing product range. For example, the exclusive top-of-the-range Individual Lion S equipment, which is equally popular with drivers and entrepreneurs alike and recently won a Red Dot in the Red Dot Design Award, will also be available for the MAN TGS series from the IAA onwards and will also experience extensive innovations at the same time: the special colour design now also includes the camera arms of the MAN OptiView mirror-replacement system, with which the driver no longer has any blind spots in their perception of the traffic situation and other road users. The typical red design elements in the interior and on the exterior are supplemented by new visual accents. Among other things, the aerodomes on the sides of the long cabs are visually highlighted with black or red colour elements, and there is also an attractive visual package in black.

In distribution transport, MAN is focusing on even more safety for all road users: as already the case for the MAN TGX and TGS, the MAN TGM is now also available with Turn Assist and Lane Change Support and Lane Change Collision Prevention Assist (LCCPA).

You can download the pictures and all 20 MAN press releases for the IAA Transportation 2020 using the ZIP files on the right-hand side under Downloads.

The change towards sustainable, climate-neutral mobility is taking place ever faster, also and especially in the transport industry. That is why MAN is focusing on the three megatrends accompanying the change at this year's IAA Commercial Vehicles in Hall 12, StandC20: Zero emissions for the CO₂-free transport of goods by road, digitalisation for the optimal integration of trucks into transport processes and autonomous driving for more safety and efficiency, a targeted use of the scarce resource of driving personnel and the intelligent climate-friendly combination of different modes of transport. But actively shaping this transformation also means remaining innovative with conventional products. "With even less fuel consumption, an even greater focus on driver needs, and useful digital services such as automatic truck payment at the petrol station, we are simplifying our customers' day-to-day business. We are making our production more flexible and building our future heavy eTruck on a production line with conventional vehicles, so that we can produce electrified or diesel-powered trucks for our customers, depending on their wishes. Our new eTruck will cover all areas of application when production starts, whether for regional distribution of organic milk or long-distance transport of green steel. We accompany our customers in the changeover to e-mobility as closely as possible based on our many years of expertise in the field of e-buses and e-vans as well as our electric eTGM in distribution transport," says Alexander Vlaskamp, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus, explaining the manufacturer's approach on the road to sustainable climate-neutral transport.

MAN eTruck

The focus of MAN's trade fair presentation is the near-series prototype of the new MAN eTruck, which will go into service with the first customers from 2024. A special technical feature of the pioneering electric lion is its preparation for future megawatt charging: high charging capacities with short charging times make the electric truck suitable for heavy-duty long-distance transport with daily ranges of between 600 and 800 kilometres, and at a later date even up to 1000 kilometres. Together with low operating costs and the best energy balance, battery electric vehicles offer the most suitable technology for future CO₂-free commercial vehicle fleets. In terms of application diversity and possible body concepts, the future MAN eTruck is in no way inferior to today's diesel truck: the CO₂-free long-distance transport of refrigerated food will be just as possible with it as low-noise and exhaust-free waste disposal in the city or the fully electric transport of materials to the construction site.

Zero emission: holistic approach to the conversion to electric

For a successful fleet conversion from diesel to electric, a holistic analysis of customer needs is necessary long before the purchase of an electric truck. This is why MAN eMobility Consulting, which MAN is presenting for the first time at the IAA for the upcoming electric truck, includes not only advice on the vehicle but also consideration of customer-specific operating conditions such as operating phases including cost optimisation, route analysis, fleet optimisation and, building on this, the necessary advice on the charging infrastructure. Digital tools such as the new MAN eReadyCheck, which customers can use from the IAA onwards to check how their delivery routes can be driven purely electrically, or the MAN eManager, which fleet managers can use to keep an eye on the important charging information of all the trucks in the fleet, provide support here. These are part of the eSolutions presented by MAN Transport Solutions at the trade fair, which will also feature various charging infrastructure partners.

Digitisation: useful helpers in everyday transport operations

In the area of digitalisation, MAN is providing an overview of the already extensive existing digital services at the IAA and an outlook on upcoming digital services. With MAN Now, the map material for navigation can already be updated and driving functions such as MAN EfficientCruise or mission-specific driving programmes can be uploaded to the vehicle over the air.

Workshop work can be carried out quickly and easily with the digital maintenance management system MAN ServiceCare, and the online efficiency monitoring system MAN Perform helps to ensure that the truck is always fuel-efficient. At the IAA, MAN is also presenting a new digital payment system for the first time, which makes it much easier for drivers to visit the filling station and for fleet managers to keep track of fuel costs.

Automation: towards autonomous hub-to-hub transport

Alongside CO₂-free drives, autonomous driving is an essential lever for the transformation to sustainable freight transport. The advantages: fewer accidents due to human error, more flexibility and efficiency by detaching transport processes from statutory driving and rest times, and a reduction in unattractive driving tasks on long distances in favour of more demanding and varied driving activities in urban and regional transport for the few drivers still available.

At the IAA, MAN is using various current practical projects to explain the continuous development steps from autonomous driving on closed terrain to fully autonomous driving on the motorway between logistics hubs: The ANITA project is developing the autonomous delivery and pick-up of containers in a road-rail transhipment terminal of the cooperation partner Deutsche Bahn, through which the transhipment process, and thus climate-friendly combined transport, should significantly increase in performance. The ATLAS-L4 project, on the other hand, is already working on the concrete implementation of autonomous hub-to-hub transports, as they have been possible since 2022 due to the law on autonomous driving. At the end of 2024, Atlas-L4 will be the first truck to drive autonomously on a German motorway.

Fuel saving: up to 4% less consumption with more power

With the classic diesel drive, MAN is bringing a new edition of the D26 engine to the IAA. A large number of engine improvements mean that the all-rounder for long-distance transport, heavy-duty distribution applications and construction site traffic consumes up to 3 percent less fuel than the current version, which is already very economical - and that with a simultaneous increase in torque by 50 Nm and a supplement of 10 hp for all performance variants. Additional savings for long-distance transport are brought about by new aerodynamic measures for the MAN TGX, which further reduce the air resistance when the air flows around the driver's cab, and with extensions that improve the transition of the air flow to the trailer: Together with the engine savings, this means fuel savings of up to 4% possible in long-distance traffic.

Focus on the driver: new Individual Lion S equipment

Fresh for the IAA Transportation 2022, MAN is also adding even more emotion to its existing product range: the exclusive top equipment Individual Lion S, which is popular with drivers and entrepreneurs alike and recently won a Red Dot in the Red Dot Design Award, will also be available for the MAN TGS series from the IAA onwards and at the same time is undergoing extensive innovations: the special colour design now also includes the camera arms of the MAN OptiView mirror replacement system, with which there are no more blind spots for the driver in perceiving the traffic situation and other road users. New visual accents have been added to the typical red design elements in the interior and exterior. Among other things, the aerodomes on the sides of the long cabs are highlighted with black or red color elements and there is also an attractive black optics package.

"Automated driving is an important component in making urban mobility fit for the future," says Walter Schwertberger, Project Manager @CITY at MAN Truck & Bus. "That's why we supported the research initiative and worked together to develop solutions to the challenges of bringing automation technology to urban road transport."

Modern urban traffic is even more complex than traffic in clearly structured environments such as highways: A wide variety of road users move with individual dynamics and diverse directions of movement in a very confined space. As a result, urban areas present a completely different mobility framework for the establishment of automation technologies than, for example, hub-to-hub transport by truck on the highway.

@CITY joint project on automated driving in urban environments

In order to be able to exploit the potential of automated vehicles for greater safety, energy efficiency and quality of life in urban mobility as well, 15 partners from the automotive industry, supplier industry, software development, science and research institutes joined forces in 2017 in the @CITY joint project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Action (BMWK). In various subprojects, they addressed the diverse technical requirements of automated driving in turbulent urban traffic with other motor vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists: the precise detection of the vehicle environment by means of various sensors and the correct understanding of situations, the correct derivation of courses of action, but also the exact localization to within a few centimeters using digital maps as well as communication with other traffic actors. Building on this, automated driving functions were implemented as prototypes in test vehicles and tested under realistic conditions. MAN Truck & Bus focused on the development of technologies for city buses that enable automated approaching of stops.

MAN Lion's City drives to stop with high-precision automation

At the official presentation of the @CITY project results on June 22, 2022, at the Aldenhoven Testing Center, MAN demonstrated the sensitive precision of the bus, because the highly accurate approach to the curb of the bus stop not only determines whether passengers can get on and off the bus with optimum accessibility, but also helps to protect the tires and thus reduce wear and costs. The automated MAN bus in the @City project has also already mastered communication with other vehicles for safe exit from the stop: when the left turn signal is set, an electronic signal is simultaneously sent to automated cars approaching from behind so that they slow down and wait until the bus has safely left the stop again. "@CITY has given us important insights on the way to automated city bus transport and has shown us how we can use autonomous driving functions but also communication with other vehicles sensibly in practical operation," Walter Schwertberger summed up at the end of the two-day project demonstrations in Aldenhoven.

Weitere Informationen zum Projekt @CITY: www.atcity-online.de 

The partners plan a full year of test drives to confront the autonomous prototype with reality as often as possible during the step-by-step development and optimization process. A safety driver is always on board to intervene if necessary. The intensive test drives benefit not only the further development of the autonomous truck but also the preparation of the terminals for the integration of the new technology: "Rail and road combined - that's the environmentally friendly solution for the logistics of the future. We are working together here to make these intermodal transports grow.  Digitization and automation help us to make the interfaces to the freight train, the processes in the terminals simple and fast," says Dr. Sigrid Nikutta, Member of the Management Board of Deutsche Bahn AG responsible for Freight Transport and Chief Executive Officer of DB Cargo AG.

For the autonomous truck to be able to perform its transport task in container handling, it must be able to communicate with the infrastructure of the DBIS depot and DUSS terminal. To this end, the scientists at Fresenius University of Applied Sciences analyzed the existing processes, procedures and behaviors of people and machines on site in the first phase of the project and transferred them to a digital set of rules. Deon Digital's Contract Specification Language (CSL) serves as a common language for the clear and complete communication of all systems involved. The result is a complete mission planning system that links both the vehicle and the IT systems of DBIS Depot and DUSS Terminal.

"We are pleased to see how our preliminary work can be successfully used in interaction with the truck in the further course of the ANITA project," emphasizes Prof. Dr. Christian T. Haas from Fresenius University of Applied Sciences. In the coming practical journeys, the scientists' mission planning transmits its orders to the automated truck and accompanies it through the container handling process.

"During the practical tests in the terminal, we will learn more every day," says MAN project manager Amelie Jacquemart-Purson. "It requires high engineering skills - to merge the camera, lidar and radar data, interpret them and implement them correctly."

Specifically this means a lot of software development: During test drives, MAN will analyze the vehicle's behavior. These findings will then be implemented step by step via software updates. The autonomous system must be able to cover all the decisions that a driver makes today on the basis of his sensory impressions - this means nothing less than replacing human perceptions and actions.

The "Autonomous Innovation in Terminal Operations" (ANITA) project started on July 1, 2020 with the aim of automating handling between modes of transport and thus making it more flexible and efficient. It is being funded with €5.5 million from the "New Vehicle and System Technologies" program of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection. The duration is 39 months. More about the ANITA project: https://www.anita.digital/en/

The ATLAS-L4 (Automated Transport between Logistics centres on highways, Level 4) research and development project focuses on the operation of autonomous trucks on public motorways and highways, contributing towards lessening congestion and accidents, reducing fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions, increasing the flexibility of vehicle use and demonstrating concepts to counter the driver shortage. At the heart of the holistic approach to the project, with partners from the automotive industry, software development, scientific research and administration, is the development of an autonomous truck that meets the requirements for future driverless operation between logistics nodes, on defined public highways and expressways, in terms of operational safety, remote monitoring and data transmission.

The project, funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, is already specifically targeting the opportunities opened up by the legislation on autonomous driving passed in 2021, in which Germany is set to hold a worldwide pioneering position. ATLAS-L4 therefore contributes towards the shaping the future of road freight transport, but also strengthens Germany as a business location. By the middle of the decade, the project should have produced a concept for the operation of automated trucks on the motorways ready to enter production.

Comments from the project partners:

MAN Truck & Bus SE

“For MAN, ATLAS-L4 is an important step on the path towards hub-to-hub automation, with which we are already looking towards future series applications for Logistics 4.0. Having the extensive competence of the partners in the ATLAS-L4 project on board is an invaluable advantage with regard to the high demands on safety and operational suitability placed on a future self-driving-truck,” says Dr. Frederik Zohm, MAN Truck & Bus executive board member responsible for research and development.

Knorr-Bremse Commercial Vehicle Systems     

“We are very much looking forward to working with our project partners to develop highly-automated trucks by the middle of this decade with the aim of meeting market demands. As part of this project, Knorr-Bremse is in charge of all aspects surrounding the redundant braking system architecture – including a safety concept. This enables the safe and economical operation of Level-4-commercial-vehicles and provides consistently safe braking and control in any situation,” says Dr. Jürgen Steinberger, Member of the Management Board at Knorr-Bremse Commercial Vehicle Systems.

Leoni AG

“We are tremendously pleased to be embarking on this ground-breaking project with our partners. The results will provide essential insights into the safe implementation of highly automated driving and will help us to develop safe systems for new types of mobility,” explains Walter Glück, CTO of Leoni’s Wiring Systems Division.

Robert Bosch Automotive Steering GmbH                                            

“Coupled with the skill of our project partners, the ATLAS-L4 project offers us the opportunity to develop steering systems for fully self-driving commercial vehicles. This has enabled us to tackle challenges such as durability and safety at an early stage of our steering system product development. Together, we are defining the standards for self-driving commercial vehicles,” explains Jennifer Endres, Head of Development, Robert Bosch Automotive Steering.

Fernride                                                                                           

“We are very pleased to be working with such well-known partners to bring automated trucks to our streets. Fernride’s platform technology makes it possible to remotely control a truck during trials or provide operator assistance to an automated vehicle at any time. Fernride guarantees constant availability and safe operation of autonomous trucks in all driving situations and can also meet the legal requirements concerning ‘technical supervision’. Together, we will drive logistic’s automation forward with ATLAS-L4,” believes Hendrik Kramer, co-founder and CEO of Fernride.

BTC Embedded Systems                                      

“As a manufacturer of premium tools for software development and testing in the automotive sector, BTC Embedded Systems sees ATLAS-L4 as a tremendous opportunity to work closely with MAN and other partners to establish simulative, scenario-based testing in cloud-based environments as an efficient and effective solution for the overall vehicle verification and safety validation of self-driving vehicles,” says Dr. Udo Brockmeyer, board chairman of BTC Embedded Systems.

Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC

“To bring fully automated trucks safely to the motorway, they must be comprehensively protected against cyber-attacks such as unauthorised remote access. With ATLAS-L4, we want to ensure that security is an integral part of any autonomous truck and is taken into consideration throughout the entire product lifecycle,” says Prof. Dr. Claudia Eckert, Director of the Fraunhofer AISEC.

Technical University of Munich, Institute of Automotive Technology

“The ATLAS-L4 project enables us to translate our research findings in the fields of automated and teleoperated driving into near-series reality. Together with our partners from scientific research and industry, we are making a major contribution towards resource-efficient and cost-effective mobility for the future with ATLAS-L4,” says Prof. Dr. Markus Lienkamp, Technical University of Munich.

TU Braunschweig, Institute of Control Engineering

“The ATLAS-L4 project represents the opportunity for the Institute of Control Engineering at TU Braunschweig to research the development and authorisation of automated vehicle prototypes and investigate questions for future series applications – especially focusing on the inherent risks and safety of these systems. Close cooperation between partners with different fields of expertise, including those from the automotive industry, software development and scientific research, will enable the ATLAS-L4 project to make a significant contribution to the development of safe, automated vehicles,” says Prof. Dr.-Ing. Markus Maurer, TU Braunschweig.

TÜV SÜD                                                                                                     

“For TÜV SÜD, the ATLAS-L4 project is a great opportunity to share our international experience in the field of highly automated vehicles and to ensure safe operation of an autonomous truck that conforms to regulations and standards,” says Patrick Fruth, CEO of the Mobility Division at TÜV SÜD.

Autobahn GmbH des Bundes                                                                  

“Road safety, free-flowing traffic and the resulting reduction in congestion are the central aims that we pursue tirelessly. We want to develop the German motorways into a fully digital, networked and automated traffic system,” says Stephan Krenz, board chairman at Autobahn GmbH.

Further information on the ATLAS-L4 project, the project partners and press contacts can be found at: https://www.atlas-l4.com/en/

“Thanks to the good fundamental work of the Hochschule Fresenius and the creation of the mission planning, we can now initiate the next development steps for our ANITA truck. This brings us ever closer to our common goal of using the autonomous truck in container handling. These project test drives will also provide us as MAN with further knowledge for the development of future autonomous driving in hub-to-hub traffic on defined routes between logistics terminals,” says MAN project manager Amelie Jacquemart-Purson about the milestone that has now been reached.

Hochschule Fresenius already presented its analysis results in the summer of 2021, after the scientists led by Prof. Dr. Christian T. Haas had analysed the processes and behaviour of people and machines on site in cooperation with MAN Truck & Bus. After all, for a truck to be able to drive fully automatically in the container and DUSS terminals in Ulm in the future, it must be able to communicate with the infrastructure. Together with its partner Deon Digital, Hochschule Fresenius has now transferred these findings into a digital set of rules and programmed various modules based on a common language. "For a clear and complete communication chain, we used Deon Digital's CSL Contract Specification Language as the common language for this," explains Haas. "With this, all processes are set up as individual contracts."

The result is a complete mission planning system that links both the vehicle and the two very different IT systems of the container and DUSS terminals. Like a universal interpreter, the solution speaks the languages of all heterogeneous systems and guides the automated truck through the container handling process. This software, which is constantly being optimised, can now be used by the project partners MAN Truck & Bus and Götting in the development of the autonomous vehicle. The first test drives with the prototype truck are expected to take place in Ulm Dornstadt at the end of 2022. In the future, other DB AG container terminals in Germany will also be digitalised and automated - along a roadmap leading to the future Terminal 4.0.

 "Automated transfer of loading units between our transshipment terminal and the container depot will enable combined transport to be handled even more efficiently and sustainably," explains Thomas Wünsch, Project Manager IT and Processes at DUSS. "The container depot of DB Intermodal Services also benefits from the innovation project. By integrating the autonomous truck into the real terminal processes, we are gaining valuable experience for our operations," adds Jens Pröse, Head of Process Organisation at DB IS.

ANITA with new communication platform

News and interesting facts about the ANITA project are now available on the new “www.anita.digital” website. In addition to a comprehensive project description and contact details, the latest press releases as well as the project film and an explanatory video on ANITA are available there. Links also lead directly to the homepages of the individual project partners for even more background information: https://www.anita.digital/en/.

“Pilot projects like Hamburg TruckPilot prove that the use of self-driving trucks is technologically feasible and can be efficiently integrated into logistics processes. Autonomous driving will be a game changer in transportation. In close cooperation with customers and partners, we are testing practical automation solutions with the aim of getting self-driving trucks ready for series production from 2030", says Dr. Frederik Zohm, MAN Board Member for Research and Development, on the project results that MAN Truck & Bus presented together with HHLA at the ITS World Congress 2021 on October 13 in Hamburg.

HHLA CEO Angela Titzrath emphasized at the press conference that the cooperation with MAN is an important and necessary step in shaping the future of freight transport: “Autonomous driving is coming! We at HHLA are preparing for this. Logistics 4.0 offers opportunities on a global scale. To use them, we have to be open to change and show the courage to change. Autonomous driving and Hamburg TruckPilot are good examples of transformative processes that we want to actively shape. "

Hamburg TruckPilot: pioneering work through cooperation

MAN Truck & Bus and Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG successfully completed the “Hamburg TruckPilot” project in summer 2021. The objective of the three-year project, which was also part of the strategic mobility partnership between the City of Hamburg and Volkswagen AG, included the development and practical testing of an autonomous truck in container handling at the HHLA Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA). During the practical trips, the logistics partner, Spedition Jakob Weets e.K. from Emden, first transported 40-foot containers controlled by a driver on behalf of Volkswagen Group Logistics to the CTA terminal in the Port of Hamburg. There, the truck drove autonomously across the terminal area and moved smoothly in mixed traffic with other road users. It drove to its destination in the block storage lane and also manoeuvred itself backwards with high precision into the parking position. After container handling, the return journey to the check gate was just as autonomous, and beyond the terminal grounds, the driver of the Jakob Weets e.K. haulage company once again took full command.

Till Schlumberger, project manager at HHLA responsible for Hamburg TruckPilot, made it clear what a pioneering technological achievement the successful test run was: "With its highly automated processes, HHLA Container Terminal Altenwerder is the ideal test environment for trying out promising technologies. Our facilities operate 24/7 around the clock, 360 days a year. However, the safe integration of autonomous trucks into the terminal processes is a major challenge, because autonomous and classic transports are intermingled. With Hamburg TruckPilot, we were able to show that this application is possible and promising in practice."

Sebastian Völl, Project Manager Hamburg TruckPilot at MAN Truck & Bus, is very satisfied with the results of the practical tests in the Port of Hamburg, "Hamburg TruckPilot was an important milestone for us on the road to autonomous driving. When our prototype manoeuvred independently into a block storage lane for the first time, we saw that it worked and that we can meet the high accuracy requirements. And even driving across the terminal site with many other manually controlled trucks, sensor technology, environment detection and automation systems have mastered the interaction perfectly. When the first container with a real load lifted off the chassis during the practical drives, I was super proud of the entire team! We can build on this experience for future projects."

Likewise, with a view to autonomous driving between different logistics hubs in hub-to-hub traffic, the partners already collected valuable data on the manual feeder trips on the A7 between the Weets Container Terminal Soltau and the port area 70 kilometres away. Further-reaching projects with practical drives on public roads will also benefit from this. Such practical tests, which are always accompanied by safety drivers, will also be possible outside closed areas thanks to the law on autonomous driving in Germany.

Germany as a driver of innovation

In July 2021, the Federal Republic of Germany became the first country ever to pass a law on autonomous driving. This regulates and generally permits the use of autonomous vehicles (Level 4) in defined operational areas, such as traffic between logistics terminals. A technical supervisor must also monitor the journeys.

For freight transport, autonomous trucks bring a whole range of advantages. They have the potential to make transport more efficient, cost-effective, reliable, sustainable and, above all, safer. For Container Logistics 4.0 and Industry 4.0, self-driving trucks represent an important element. They are also a solution to the driver shortage that is increasingly causing problems for many transport companies.

Outlook into the future of freight transport

In order to drive automation forward, MAN plans to successively launch further cooperation projects for the development of autonomous hub-to-hub transport. From the middle of the decade, initial application tests of self-driving MAN trucks integrated into the operating processes of customer companies are conceivable. The goal is to be able to realise autonomously driving trucks as series solutions from 2030 onwards. Combined with emission-free drives, these not only have the potential to increase the safety and efficiency of logistics, but also to make an important contribution to CO2-minimised freight transport.

Link to the photo material: Project Hamburg TruckPilot

In order for trucks and the terminal facility to “communicate”, the Fresenius University of Applied Sciences has now presented the results of its study. During the study, the scientists, in cooperation with MAN Truck & Bus, had analysed the behaviour of people and machines on site in order to convert them into digital processes and sets of rules. This is how a modular circuit diagram for autonomous transportation is to be created. “In order to use autonomous trucks in logistical processes, it is important to understand the typical operational requirements and to consider the necessary interfaces at an early stage. That is why we consistently focus on the specific practical relevance and logistical and scientific expertise in our autonomous driving projects. As such, the fundamental work of the Fresenius University of Applied Sciences is very important to us,” says Andreas Zimmermann, Head of Advanced Development of Electronics at MAN Truck & Bus.

Logistical processes are being innovatively reconfigured as part of the ANITA project (Autonomous Innovation in Terminal Operations). “Both digitisation and automation are decisive factors in the further development of terminal operations. They make it possible to carry out transportation faster, more efficiently and more predictably and to increase the capacity of existing infrastructure,” explains Andreas Schulz, Managing Director of DUSS. “Digital system control allows the driverless truck to be integrated smoothly into the terminal's logistical processes,” says Prof Dr Christian T. Haas, Head of the Institute for Complex Systems Research at Fresenius University of Applied Sciences, making it clear that the background to this project is essential for all further steps.

Haas and his team also analysed and compared the logistical processes at other DB AG container terminals in Germany before the project commenced. After all, the digital platform is to be set up in such a way that it can be used as a basis for other sites where autonomous trucks are used for transportation – such as in container terminals, at ports or on industrial sites. These functions are to be safeguarded using a modular structure. “Our goal here is to start using autonomous trucks and minimise any necessary adjustments to the infrastructure, as these are usually costly and take a lot of time,” adds Haas. “This makes it as easy and cost-effective as possible to put the technology to use in the real world.”

The fact that the structures in such projects are highly diverse based on the site is a real challenge. These are open and complex systems involving a great number of individuals – from the forwarder to the crane operator to the materials requirement planner. What's more, spontaneous human decisions occur right alongside automated processes. A significant challenge, as Haas explains: “Unlike humans, an automated system cannot improvise or bend the rules; there must be a clear instruction for action for every situation.”

The process analysis stage has now been completed in Ulm and across the country, meaning that the transfer to mission planning software can now take place. The contract specification language of the company Deon Digital will be used in a development process like this for the first time, and will ensure the greatest possible degree of reliability when information is exchanged between the instances. The results of the analysis are then incorporated into the development process for the autonomous truck. MAN is responsible for this stage in cooperation with Götting. Once the development and implementation phase is complete, the mission planning software and the truck will be tested in real-life operations in Ulm, with a safety driver on board at all times.

The trips between the DUSS terminal and the DB Intermodal Services container depot also serve to establish the technical prerequisites for autonomously operated hub-to-hub transportation. “Fixed routes between logistics hubs are ideal for autonomous trucks operation and are therefore a focal point for MAN in its efforts to develop autonomous driving systems,” says Andreas Zimmermann, explaining an additional aspect of the ANITA project. In addition, DB AG is analysing the transferability of the findings to other terminals in order to develop a roadmap to the Terminal 4.0 of tomorrow. The legal framework for such operations was only recently adopted by the upper and lower houses of the German parliament in the form of the Autonomous Driving Act, which in principle allows the use of such autonomous vehicle systems in Germany in defined operational areas, such as on routes between logistics hubs, and with technical supervision.

Since the end of 2018, MAN Truck & Bus and Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) have been driving forward the "Hamburg TruckPilot" research and testing project to develop automation solutions. Following the preparation and test phase, the highlight was the practical test drives from the end of May, during which prototype trucks equipped with electronic automation systems ran in regular logistics operations.

The involvement of the forwarding company Jakob Weets e.K. from Emden was important for the successful process: The logistics partner not only provided drivers, but also took care of the complete container handling and integrated the prototype trucks into their regular transport process. "We are pleased to be part of the innovative research project and thus to support the development of future automation solutions," says Managing Director Jakob Weets, referring to the potential that automated driving functions may offer in terms of relieving truck drivers in the future.

During the respective practical trip, the Weets driver first transported a 40-foot container on behalf of VW Group Logistics from the Weets Container Terminal in Soltau to the Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA) in the Port of Hamburg, about 70 kilometers away, in a completely conventional steering manner.

After the CTA check gate, the driver switched to the passenger seat and a safety driver climbed in instead, who had to be on board for legal reasons and could also intervene in the unlikely event that the test under prototype conditions required this. This guaranteed absolute safety for all involved at all times during ongoing terminal operations.

The truck then drove autonomously across the terminal site to its correct position in the block storage lane and also maneuvered autonomously backwards into the correct parking position. After container handling, the return trip to the check gate was also autonomous, and beyond the terminal site, the driver of Spedition Jakob Weets e.K. again took full command.

Till Schlumberger, project manager at HHLA and responsible for Hamburg TruckPilot, is very satisfied: "The tests have shown it. We can integrate autonomous trucks into our terminal processes. An important step, because autonomous driving is coming. Accordingly, we at HHLA want and need to prepare ourselves early on for the prospect of autonomous trucks picking up or delivering containers at our terminals."

Sebastian Völl, Project Manager for Automated Driving at MAN Truck & Bus, is also pleased with the successful practical test. "Hamburg TruckPilot is an important technological milestone on the road to hub-to-hub automation," says Völl, categorizing the success and thus addressing another aspect that takes place during the practical test drives in Hamburg. Because on the feeder runs on the A7 between the Weets Container Terminal Soltau and the port area, the project participants already collected a lot of data during the practical test runs for upcoming projects that could also take place outside closed areas in the future. This is because it was only at the end of May that the Bundestag and Bundesrat passed the law on autonomous driving, which in principle allows the use of such autonomous vehicle systems in Germany in defined operating areas, such as on routes between logistics hubs, monitored by technical supervision.

The project partners will present the detailed results of "Hamburg TruckPilot" at the ITS World Congress in October 2021.

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The project partners are MAN Truck & Bus SE, Deutsche Bahn AG, Götting KG and the Hochschule Fresenius University of Applied Sciences. The project is being funded with approx. 5.5 million euros by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy’s “New Vehicle and System Technologies” program and is scheduled to run for 39 months.

The fully automated truck is to be used at the Ulm Dornstadt site. It will move automatically within the DB Intermodal Services container depot and the DUSS terminal. A MAN ‘safety driver’ will always be on board during tests. The digital infrastructure and all necessary interfaces will first be set up on site. Experienced crane operators will handle the containers to ensure that operations can be tested under real conditions.

Dr. Sigrid Nikutta, DB Management Board Member for Freight Transport: “Combined transport is key to successfully decarbonizing transport. The customer accesses rail transport via transshipment terminals, so it is important that we offer efficient and innovative processes here. Containers must be handled faster and more flexibly. We are using digitalization for this purpose, as in the ANITA project: self-driving trucks in the terminal are a first, important step towards ‘Terminal 4.0’.”

MAN Truck & Bus SE is developing the vehicle for the project: “Together with our partners, we will gain valuable experience with autonomous vehicles for container handling at a terminal. Following our already very successful platooning project with DB Schenker AG and the Fresenius University, ANITA marks the next important step on the road to automated driving in hub-to-hub application – yet another milestone on our MAN automation roadmap,” says Dr. Frederik Zohm, Executive Board Member for Research and Development at MAN Truck & Bus.

Götting KG will develop algorithms for determining the vehicle’s location and detecting obstacles. Hans-Heinrich Götting is in charge of Götting KG: “The ANITA project should improve our ability of our environment detection to a whole new level as we strive to achieve full automation. Collaborating with key partners within a real environment is extremely important for Götting KG.”

To ensure successful communication between the truck and the terminal/container depot, the behavior of people and machines on the terminal site will first be analyzed so that it can be translated into digital processes and rules. This will be the job of the Fresenius University of Applied Sciences: “We have a tradition of analyzing processes in complex systems,” says Prof. Dr. Christian T. Haas, Director of the Institute for Complex Systems Research at Fresenius University. “The particular challenge posed by the current project is that we not only need to understand the system’s behavior, but also have to translate this into a digital concept that machines can work with. Safety has highest priority – but performance aspects are also important for the rollout process.”

The new MAN Truck Generation follows in the footsteps of legendary series. The MAN TGA, which was presented in 2000, was formative for truck construction. Not only does the new MAN Truck Generation follow suit, it also brings a new level of comfort, safety, efficiency, reliability, service as well as connectivity and digitalisation.

“Simplifying Business” – the changing transportation industry

Today, the requirements in all areas of the transportation industry are more diverse and complex than ever – forecasts for the future indicate that fundamental transformation of the industry is in “full gear”. This brings great challenges with it – the transport volume in the EU alone is to increase by an additional 40 percent in the next 20 years. At the same time, strict legal regulations are intended to reduce CO2 emissions by 15 percent by 2025 (with an additional reduction by 30 percent by 2030). To make matters worse, there is a growing shortage of drivers. According to current estimations, in Germany there will be a shortage of around 150,000 qualified professional drivers in the next two years alone. Additionally, increasingly comprehensive digitalisation across all logistics processes sets a fast pace for transport companies.

“Our customers expect us to provide them with answers to these questions, and rightly so,” summarises Joachim Drees, the MAN Chairman of the Executive Board. “For their sake, we need to be one step ahead of these changes with all their direct and indirect effects. This is a huge, but at the same time, extremely exciting task – it means that we need to think in different, new dimensions as the manufacturer of our products. We do this with our new truck generation.”

This is why the new MAN truck generation offers everything which customers and drivers have always valued and expected from their MAN vehicles – only even better. It unites tried-and-true virtues with developments which are absolutely future-oriented, in order to take the burden off freight forwarders and drivers and make their daily work easier, despite increasingly complex framework conditions. In doing so, MAN is focussing on four core topics: the driver in their work place, the vehicle’s efficiency and its reliable usability, as well as the strong and competent partnership for customers.

“Excellent driver fit” – the driver is the focus

In order to optimise the work place in the truck and to adjust it to better meet the daily requirements of the driver, their performance and motivation need to be placed at the forefront. After all, the decisive building blocks for a transport company’s economic success are the commitment and satisfaction of drivers. This is why the new MAN truck generation sets standards in terms of user-friendliness, optimum ergonomics, operation which is more intuitive and reliable, networking with digital devices and applications and, last but not least, optimum space, a well-thought-out storage concept and perfect sleeping comfort – all this geared towards needs which were determined based on experience. This is because MAN consistently included the expertise and feedback of drivers and business people throughout the entire development process. Modern assistance systems such as the newly developed turn assist, the traffic jam assistant as well as lane change assist reduce the strain on the driver and ensure increased safety in road traffic.

Please note: You can download a detailed press release on this topic (2_MAN_New_TG_Excellent_Driver_ Fit_EN) in the ZIP file at the top right of this page.

“Great efficiency & economy”

The Euro 6d engine range, which was introduced back in 2019, realises its full efficiency potential with the new MAN Truck Generation. The perfect interplay of the units with additional, newly developed consumption-reducing driveline and software components provides the future series with a trailblazing level of efficiency. In this way, the new MAN Truck Generation saves up to eight percent of fuel compared to the Euro 6c predecessor version in classic long-haul transport applications, and thus achieves a clear reduction in CO2.

The improved aerodynamics of the new vehicle design also play their part in this reduction. Furthermore, MAN offers additional targeted and practice-oriented training and instruction options with digital applications, in order to support drivers in even more efficient driving methods.

Comprehensive product improvements for components and in the areas of maintenance and service reduce service life costs. Likewise, the new MAN truck generation offers significant payload advantages for weight-sensitive application sectors.

Please note: You can download a detailed press release on this topic (3_MAN_New_TG_Great_Efficiency_and_Economy_EN) in the ZIP file at the top right of this page.

“Optimised uptime” – utmost availability over the entire service life

How “good” a truck is when it is in use largely depends on how efficiently and easily it fulfils its transport task. An important parameter here is reliability. MAN endeavours to make the tried and true even better with the new truck generation, in order to ensure the long-standing product quality (which is repeatedly confirmed in the TÜV report) for the future as well. Take for example the newly developed, simplified, powerful and future-proof electronics architecture, which will significantly improve and expand the functionalities of the trucks.

Additionally, a comprehensively further developed, digitalised maintenance management system reduces operating costs and ensures maximum availability of the new MAN TG vehicles. Fleet management and drivers are supported through numerous digital functionalities and services.

Please note: You can download a detailed press release on this topic (4_MAN_New_TG_Optimised_Uptime_EN) in the ZIP file at the top right of this page.

“Strong partner” – competent and personal partnership

At the same time as the new truck generation, MAN is introducing a new consultation and offer system which is entirely oriented towards the needs of the customer. It follows a product logic which is consistently oriented towards the application profile. This allows for a new MAN TGX, TGS, TGM or TGL to be put together into a truck that fits the exact transport task, using comprehensively adjustable and flexible configuration options. This includes individually coordinated services from maintenance, financing and digital services, which make the truck a holistic, integrated transport solution – all this from a single source, with competent personal contact partners. Furthermore, MAN Individual provides a comprehensive portfolio of options to enhance the vehicle and make customer-specific adaptations ex-works.

Please note: You can download a detailed press release on this topic (5_MAN_New_TG_Strong_Partner_EN) in the ZIP file at the top right of this page.

From customer to product

The claim of the new MAN truck generation of “Simply my Truck” is not just a slogan, but a significant foundation for development – to find out how the ideal work place and living space in a truck should be designed first hand, the MAN developers presented over 700 drivers (including during visits to truck stops and service stations) with different prototype solutions. The feedback from the professionals and their personal wishes went directly into the new series.

Additionally, MAN invited 300 national and international customers from a total of 16 countries to Munich, in order to define the most important requirements for a new vehicle with them in workshops. The developers compared this diverse input with the feedback from the driver interviews, and implemented the resulting core ideas into the numerous innovative features of the new MAN truck generation.

At the same time, MAN is continuously developing the performance of its Sales and After Sales areas further. Based on over 50,000 personal customer surveys a year, new services and products were created which help the customer to optimally utilise their new MAN TGX, TGS, TGM or TGL.

Comprehensive improvements in the production and sales process

The new MAN truck generation does not only entail a new product for MAN; it also involves comprehensive improvements in Production and Sales.

In order for series production of the new MAN truck generation to be ready to go and to be able to simultaneously offer the previous models during the transition phase until the end of 2020, MAN invested around 100 million euros at the Munich site alone, for example. There, up to 500 cabs from the comprehensive range of the new MAN truck generation and the previous TG series are produced a day.

Additional investments amounting to 85 million euros went into the new cab paint shop of the main factory, which can now meet the increased output of cab construction without any problems. It is one of the most state of the art and environmentally friendly plants in Europe and another step on the way to a “green factory”, which MAN is dedicated to achieving.

At the plant in Steyr, Austria where the TGL and TGM series continue to roll off the production line, a new and cutting-edge paint shop was also put into operation. All plastic attachment parts for the entire MAN production network will be exclusively processed there in the future.

Alongside production, MAN also restructured its offer process with the launch of the new truck generation. At the centre of this is a fundamental change in method in product logic which manifests itself in new configuration processes and tools. When creating the offer, the core thought here is to place the individual transport task of the customer at the forefront. This results in a portfolio which is more closely aligned with the market and customers, with a completely integrated range of trucks, After Sales services, finance and digital services. The configuration and offer process is thereby not just much faster, but also provides a high level of flexibility when putting together the perfect tool for the customer’s transport task.

The new MAN Truck Generation – the project in numbers

The introduction of the new MAN Truck Generation is the most ambitious project from the company in 20 years:

• 12,000,000 working hours were spent as part of the project
• 4,000,000 test kilometres driven up to market launch
• 2,800,000 lines of software code
• 167,000 working hours were put into the new vehicle design
• Around 22,000 new item numbers were integrated into all departments
• 3,000 cab colours are available as standard
• 2,100 MAN employees were directly involved in the project
• 8 cab sizes are available for the new MAN Truck Generation
• Up to 8 percent less fuel consumption
• 4 series: MAN TGX, TGS, TGM or TGL
• 1 team: the 36,000 employees at MAN Truck & Bus

The new MAN Truck Generation: the right truck for any application

In developing its new generation of trucks, MAN consistently focused on the drivers and their transport task. The result is a product portfolio that optimally fulfils every transport task.

• TGL, TGM, TGS and TGX model series from 7.5 to 41 tonnes
• Eight different new cabs
• The right chassis for each sector

Every transport task has its specific challenges. A truck in international long-haul transport must offer not only high fuel efficiency and ergonomic operating logic for relaxed and fatigue-free driving, but also provide a suitable concept for resting and the sleep area. This enables drivers to regenerate optimally during breaks, because only when they are fully rested can they retain concentration to steer their truck through traffic in a safe and environmentally friendly way. Assistance systems, such as semi-automated driving in traffic jams or the turn assist feature, provide additional support. Safety is key for operators not only in long-haul operations, on construction sites and in distribution networks. Good visibility and optimum display of important driving information are essential in urban driving situations and on tight construction sites or when manoeuvring around tricky delivery locations. The ergonomics of frequently entering and exiting the cab, as is part of the daily work routine in urban distribution transport or when operating municipal services, is another key aspect. It is also important to choose the right body for the transport task at hand, for which the vehicle chassis must offer the optimum technical and electronic interfaces – whether it be a three-way tipper, a roll-off skip loader, a refrigerated body, a refuse collector vehicle or a timber transporter. Not least, appropriate driveline design is key in ensuring that the driver and vehicle can handle the transport task efficiently and in accordance with the assignment. So as to offer the optimum solution every time, MAN has designed its new product range in modular form to meet the diverse requirements of the different transport sectors and tasks faced.

Varied product portfolio: The right truck for any task

Retaining what is tried and tested, and making it even better where appropriate, is the core thinking behind MAN's new generation of trucks based on the familiar model series line-up: Long-haul and heavy-duty transport jobs are still covered by the new MAN TGX models, recognisable by their wide, long and high cabs. As before, the new MAN TGX features a choice of three engine series offering a range of power outputs: the top-of-the-range MAN D38 developing up to 640 hp; the mid-range MAN D26 from 430 hp to 510 hp; or for light long-haul transport the MAN D15 from 330 to 400 hp. Alongside classic 4x2 and 6x2 semi-trailer tractors and chassis units, the 6x4 and 8x4 variants are also still available for the TGX, as they are a popular choice for heavy-duty transport operations for example. The 4x2 semi-trailer tractor can optionally be ordered with MAN HydroDrive, the hydrostatic front-axle drive providing additional traction on unpaved surfaces. With this diversity of options, the MAN TGX covers a range from 18 to 41 tonnes gross vehicle weight. For heavy-duty applications, a 250 tonne gross train weight is possible.

The new MAN TGS is targeted as before on the heavy-duty construction vehicle, distribution and municipal services sectors. This model series is characterised by narrow cabs, because in typical applications both low unladen weight and good visibility are key. In terms of power units, MAN offers the TGS with the D26 or D15 engine, covering a broad power range from 330 to 510 hp. The wide range of variants also makes the MAN TGS the king among the lions when it comes to drive configurations. Whether the 4x2 and 6x2 as semitrailer tractors or chassis units, the classic 6x4, 8x2 and 8x4 for a wide variety of sectors, or the specialist all-wheel drive rigs for rough terrain configured as 4x4, 6x6, 8x6 or 8x8. If the vehicle is mainly driven on paved roads, and additional traction is only occasionally required, MAN HydroDrive can be combined with a 2, 3- or 4-axle MAN TGS. Featuring such a variety of set-ups, the gross vehicle weight of the new MAN TGS ranges from 18 to 41 tonnes.

The light and medium tonnage ranges in the new truck generation are again covered by the MAN TGL and MAN TGM. There is a choice of four new narrow cabs: short, long, high with a bed, and the crew cab. The crew cab is used in the construction industry, by municipal service providers, as well as by emergency services. With its 4-cylinder version of the D08 engine, the new TGL covers a range from 7.5 to 12 tonnes. If that unit's 160 to 220 hp power range is not sufficient, the TGL can also be equipped with the 6-cylinder 250 hp D08 engine. That is also the basic power unit for the MAN TGM range, which extends up to a 320 hp 6-cylinder D08. The tonnage range of the new MAN TGM takes up where the new MAN TGL stops, extending from 12, 15 and 18 tonnes to 26 tonnes gross vehicle weight. While the MAN TGL is available exclusively in 4x2 versions, the MAN TGM also offers 6x2, 6x4 and 4x4 wheel configurations, which makes it attractive not only for medium-heavy overland distribution transport and urban logistics but also for many applications in construction, municipal services and fire-fighting.

New cabs: diversity is key

MAN offers no fewer than eight different cabs with its new truck generation. The most space is provided by the three large-capacity cabs, designated GX, GM and GN.

With their 2.44 metre outer width, the GX and GM are the perfect choice for long-haul international transports. Plenty of space for luggage is provided by the storage compartment in the middle under the bed, the two external storage boxes, which are also accessible from the inside, and the storage compartments and roof stowage units above the windscreen. The GX cab with the highest roof variant provides up to 355 litres of storage space. Thanks to the low-lying transmission tunnel, the GM cab has an above-average headroom of 1.87 metres, while that in the GX is even 2.07 metres. Drivers really enjoy being on the road with the two largest cab variants, which feature outstanding freedom of movement, an airy interior ambience and supreme levels of comfort. Comfortable beds with high-quality slatted frames and effective cab sound insulation ensure optimal relaxation and restful sleep.

The third of the large-capacity cab variants, the GN, offers the same high levels of comfort as in the GM and GX cabs. It merely dispenses with a high roof, which entails clear benefits for specific applications in a variety of different sectors. Examples include the transportation of sensitive loads with silos or oil tanker bodies and semi-trailers. Some body units, such as car transporters, extend over the low cab. Thanks to the low-lying transmission tunnel, the GN cab likewise still offers outstanding freedom of movement with its 1.57 metre headroom. Like the GX and GM versions, the comfortable bed has a high-quality slatted frame to ensure optimal relaxation and restful sleep.

In the construction industry, urban distribution logistics and tanker and silo transportation, optimum visibility and light weight are crucial. Convenient, ergonomic entry and exit when making frequent delivery stops is also very important. MAN developed the new, 2.24 metre narrow cabs for the TGL, TGM and TGS series of the new MAN Truck generation specifically to meet such requirements.

With its 2.24 metre width, the new TM cab meets the requirement for light weight and compact design, but with the identical length and the same high roof as the GM cab it also meets the high demands of living and sleeping comfort. The TM cab is ideal in payload-intensive national long-haul transport operations for example. Like the GM and GX cabs, the TM features exterior storage boxes accessible from the inside as well as numerous storage compartments and roof stowage units above the windscreen.

The new low TN cab is available for applications in which drivers and operators value high standards of comfort, plenty of storage space and a comfortable bed with a high-quality slatted frame for occasional overnight stays, but do not require a high roof.

As before, the new NN cab will be the most frequently chosen variant for the new MAN TGS. Typical applications in the construction industry are for tippers and transport mixers. Despite its compact 1.88 metre length, it still offers sufficient space behind the seats for work clothing and tools. The optional access ladder, featuring a standing platform above the left wheel arch and a grab handle on the roof, allows for safe and convenient monitoring of the cargo space behind the cab. Also typical of the design and very robust, the new medium-height or high chassis cabs feature a three-part steel bumper. The parts can be replaced in sections in the event of major collision damage. The flexibly mounted bottom rungs of the step units, protected by reinforced facings to withstand heavy impact without damage, are a further practical boon.

The new TGL and TGM series include the CC cab with an outer width of 2.24 metres and outer length of 1.62 metres. Despite its compact design, it offer the same high level of ergonomics and user-friendliness as the other cabs available for the new MAN. Drivers in a variety of sectors, including distribution, construction or municipal services, will relish the very low entry height and wide-opening doors.

The crew cab – the longest cab in the new truck generation – primarily offers plenty of space for additional passengers. The new four-door crew cab designated DN provides plenty of space for up to seven people and their equipment on its comfortable four-seater bench and its two or three seats in the front. They can also utilise generous storage facilities, including under the rear seat bench. This makes the crew cab ideally suited for trades, for municipal service providers and for emergency services.

PLEASE NOTE: These and further press releases about the new MAN Truck Generation are available for download as ZIP here on the top of this page.