EN 
DE 
Florian Reinke
Leipzig. Alexander Vlaskamp looks to Leipzig with pride on Tuesday - because here, in the north of the trade fair city, a new era is about to begin, and not just for his company. Vlaskamp is firmly convinced of this: he has been CEO of MAN Truck & Bus, one of the leading international commercial vehicle manufacturers, since 2021. 100 years after the company presented the first diesel truck, the first all-electric MAN truck will be handed over in Leipzig on Tuesday.
In an interview with LVZ, the CEO summarized the importance of the delivery as follows: "We are part of the problem when it comes to CO₂ emissions, but we are now also a big part of the solution."
Battery modules are transported to the Porsche plant by e-truck
The company Dräxlmaier wants to receive the e-truck in the north of the trade fair city. The automotive supplier opened its new plant in the Lützschena-Stahmeln district in August 2023, where 800-volt battery systems are produced. One prominent customer is Porsche, whose Leipzig plant will play a central role in the use of the new e-truck.
According to reports, the truck will now be used to deliver batteries for the Porsche eMacan to the car manufacturer's plant. "We operate continuously in three shifts. We bring the battery module to our customer's plant at high frequency," says Felix Klimas, Head of Supply Chain Management at Dräxlmaier.
Source: Kempner
Dräxlmaier expects three e-trucks in Leipzig
It is therefore quite possible that commuters and residents will notice the new e-truck more frequently in commercial traffic in future. It is precisely those who live there who perceive this as a burden, and e-mobility could improve the situation. "As a company, we also bear responsibility for the environment and the people in Leipzig," says Felix Klimas from Dräxlmaier. "We are therefore delighted that, on the initiative of our customer, we will be able to deliver from our Leipzig site in future with greatly reduced CO₂ emissions."
According to Klimas, green electricity will be used to charge the e-truck. "This means that the only emission is the abrasion of the tires and brakes. Nevertheless, we have a CO₂ reduction of 95 percent." However, the plan is not to stop at one fully electric truck: Two more models are to be delivered by mid-December.
Up to 800 kilometers daily range
As those involved emphasize, the approximately seven-kilometre route in the north of Leipzig is ideal for operating the electric truck. MAN gives the daily range as 600 to 800 kilometers with one intermediate charge.
However, the biggest challenge for e-mobility in the transportation sector is once again the charging infrastructure, and there are major gaps here, especially in public spaces.
"Charging infrastructure must be expanded in Germany"
Source: MAN
Felix Klimas says that Dräxlmaier would like to use more e-trucks. "But the funding programs don't go far enough for us at the moment. The charging infrastructure needs to be expanded further in Germany, but also internationally and in neighboring European countries."
The challenge is huge - but there is a consensus that it must be tackled. As MAN CEO Vlaskamp says, around 14 percent of global CO₂ emissions come from the transportation sector, of which trucks account for eight percent. "The e-truck significantly reduces CO₂ emissions if it is charged with sustainable electricity. This is largely the case in Germany," he says.
And it's not just MAN that is focusing on e-mobility: other major players such as Volvo, Daimler, Renault and Iveco are also pushing the switch in the commercial vehicle industry.
According to MAN, Dräxlmaier will be followed by many more customers for the e-truck. "We already have around 2,500 orders and order inquiries for the next 1.5 years or so," says the CEO. Production at the MAN plant in Munich is set to continue in the coming years. "Our medium-term plan is for sales of new electric vehicles in Europe to reach around 50 percent by 2030 and almost 90 percent by 2040."
