Sustainable Mobility and MAN Truck & Bus
Having played a pioneering role in sustainable mobility for many years, MAN Truck & BusMAN is resolutely pursuing a net zero-emission strategy for its entire vehicle portfolio. MAN has put its first electric low-entry buses on the road and emphasises that 70% of its urban bus deliveries now consist of electric models.
Transformation Process in Ankara
Head of Bus Division, MAN Truck & Bus Barbaros Oktay, stated that their focus is on the technologies of the future and made the following statements:
“The electric drive system is the most efficient system for local zero-emission mobility. This technology is now mature. It has a very good energy and CO2 balance and is notable for its low energy costs. In order to switch to climate-friendly mobility, we must significantly reduce CO2 emissions and bring our innovative eMobility technology to the road. Our aim is to produce our products CO2-neutrally. We have achieved this goal at our plant in South Africa and plan to achieve this in Ankara by 2030 at the latest. We have also started to restructure our production facilities in order to be able to fully electrify our buses and meet the high demand for e-buses. In this context, we have prepared our production facility and employees in Ankara accordingly and have gradually switched the factory to eMobility. This restructuring and the steps taken in Ankara are integral parts of MAN’s transformation process towards a sustainable future.”
Development Activities and International Cooperation
Member of the Executive Board responsible for MAN Product Development Frederik Zohm, shared the following information about the work in Ankara:
“In 2018/2019, we decided to establish the bus development center in Ankara and to develop it into an international research and development network as part of MAN’s R&D transformation. Today, the new Product Development Center (PDC) in Ankara carries out all development activities, documentation work, prototyping and project management for buses. Work on the eCoach model is now also carried out here. This success was made possible thanks to the high competence and dedication of an international team of bus employees in Munich, Turkey, Poland and South Africa.”
MAN Türkiye's Success Story
MAN Türkiye Inc., was founded in 1966 as the first MAN production facility outside Germany. Today, it employs around 317.000 people on a total area of 4.700 square metres. Urban, intercity and tourism buses of the MAN and NEOPLAN brands are developed and produced here. This facility is also MAN's largest bus production centre.
Buses of the Future Are in Production
MAN is only in Ankara MAN Lion's City E models, but also electric intercity buses and new MAN Lion's Coach EMAN aims to start production of electric city and intercity buses of the Lion's City E family in Ankara as of mid-2025 and plans to start eCoach production in 2026.
Future Technologies Are Being Developed in Ankara
MAN has brought together its development activities under the roof of its new Product Development Center (PDC) in Türkiye and has been working on future innovations with approximately 830 employees since October. The PDC, which has been built over the last four years with a total investment of 41 million Euros, includes a 300.000-kilometer test track, test ramp, workshops, warehouses, an R&D office, a laboratory and a bus modification center where customer-specific demands are implemented, on an area of 1,4 square meters.
Innovations in the Electric Bus Field
MAN has a strong position in the field of electromobility, with three bus production sites as well as a battery plant in Nuremberg, where battery packs for eTrucks and eBuses are produced. Starachowice The facility stands out as a competence centre for electric city buses, and in South Africa, the continent's first e-bus deliveries were successfully carried out.
Sustainable Production Philosophy
To achieve its climate protection goals, MAN focuses not only on the electrification of its vehicle fleet, but also on sustainable production. In this context, the energy sources of its production facilities are converted into renewable electricity and heat energy. In addition to the external supply of renewable energy, this transformation is supported by the installation of solar panels, as in South Africa and Ankara.
In addition, by expanding its e-bus production, MAN is taking another important step towards its goal of becoming a greenhouse gas-neutral company by 2050. To this end, the company supports sustainable mobility together with its customers and business partners and fully adheres to international climate protection targets.
Source: (BYZHA) Beyaz News Agency
