The Exclusive Early Fleet MAN e-Truck rolls off the production line

And they’re off! In assembly hall F1-F3 at the Munich site, the MAN eTruck has been rolling off the production line since September. After successful trials in July, which saw the production of three trucks, the vehicles are now entering small-scale series production. “ICE trucks and the electric versions are usually built on two lines. We’re producing them both on the same line. This gives us a market advantage for the series production of eTrucks,” says Dr Peter Demmel, Head of Assembly in Munich.

The end of the summer break marked the start of production for the Exclusive Early Fleet and the transition from building vehicles in the eMobility Center to series production. “We’re ramping up production gradually. In the first few weeks the numbers will only be small, and will steadily increase. Experts from the pre-production centre, planning, logistics, technology and quality are all involved with construction so that we can react quickly to any challenges and continuously incorporate improvements into production. At the end of the day, we want to go into series production in 2025,” adds Demmel.

One model will be completed every eight minutes, whether ICE or electric. For the eTrucks, the focus is on the integration of the media module and installation of the high-voltage batteries and electric motors. Alongside this increase in numbers, an area of the hall has been fitted out so that the preassembly of power backs, lateral batteries and charging units can be carried out. The battery packs come from the battery plant, which is also ramping up production at the MAN factory in Nuremberg.

Well trained: the people on the production line need a wide range of knowledge.

Mixed production only works with qualified employees on the lines

The eTruck has around 3,500 parts that are different to a diesel truck, which has required alterations to the assembly sequence. New equipment, from screwdrivers to hoists and augmented reality solutions for the preassembly of the new media module have all been provided. “Mixed production demands high levels of qualification and skill from our employees. A tremendous breadth of knowledge is required at each station, each employee must master specific tasks for both internal combustion and electric vehicles. Only very well-trained staff can manage this,” comments Demmel.

That’s why MAN relies on intensive preparations in the eMobility Center. After the concept phase, teams from the project, series planning, production, testing and the MAN Academy worked together extensively for more than three years to prepare production to meet the challenges that would arise. The processes that would later be needed for series production have been in development in the eMobility Center since the production of the first prototype vehicles in 2021. Ansgar Hollah, sub-project manager, eTruck production and eTruck project manager: “The eMobility Center is one of the central locations for project management. Superb work has been done here under often difficult conditions to prepare for series production on one hand, and to prepare other vehicles for technology and sale on the other. The key factor in the success of mastering these challenges, big and small, is excellent cooperation with all interfaces.”

Martin Liebl initially worked on how the power packs could be fitted into the space usually occupied by an internal combustion engine and a gearbox. He then moved on to the production of the prototypes and their predecessors, built by a team made up of the eMobility Center and colleagues from the production line. “It really added value for employees to learn about the overall production process in the laboratory workshop. If you know how the whole thing works and what your personal contribution is, you identify more with the product,” says Liebl. “And we benefited too because feedback from assembly colleagues enabled us to quickly correct details. The exchange went both ways.”

An example: To make the batteries, battery cells are grouped into modules and assembled in individual layers into a battery casing in Nuremberg (battery pack). A great deal of expertise and stringent safety standards are essential. That’s why electrical specialists and production sites undertook several stages of high-voltage qualification as part of their ongoing training.

One of these employees is Max Oberhauser. He started in 2018 as a vehicle mechatronics technician apprentice in the system and high-voltage technology department, and has since qualified as a specialist electrical technician. “When I got the offer, I moved to the electrical technician team in the eMobility Center to learn more about the high-voltage components. This covered the pre-assembly of the power pack and its installation. Although I had already learned about high-voltage technology on the VW Up during my training, it’s a completely different beast in the eTruck. The individual functions of the components might be the same, but the construction of the power pack was completely new to me,” says Oberhauser.

Teamwork: an electric axle is installed in the chassis.

Oberhauser is one of three specialist electrical technicians now working on preassembly for installation and assembly as multipliers on the HV battery production line. “We specialist electrical technicians are qualified to be able to teach the assembly line teams about the high-voltage components, preassembly, and installation into the eTrucks on the main assembly line, thereby giving them specialist training.” Oberhauser also adds, “There’s no need to be afraid of new tasks involving high-voltage batteries. You have to respect them, but there’s no need for fear.”

The eTruck shows the way to the future

Oberhauser gets a good feeling from his involvement in the production of the new eTruck. “The vehicle walkthrough before the summer break was very well received by the employees on the production line. It’s a huge challenge, but I’m looking to the future with positivity.” Demmel, head of assembly, also sees mixed production as predominantly positive. “We’re producing MAN’s products of the future here. Our mixed production approach gives us great flexibility – we can react relatively spontaneously to changes in sales: we have created the conditions to have up to 100 units rolling off the assembly line every day. It makes no difference whether 100 of them are eTrucks, or only 25.”