MAN

MAN will offer advanced assistance systems from 2026 that anticipate EU rules coming in 2028, including an emergency braking system, side monitoring with screens instead of mirrors, and driver monitoring. The systems are intended to reduce accidents in rear-end collisions, right turns and in parking or construction-site situations, and to cut fuel consumption by five to nine percent. MAN relies on combinations of camera, radar and lidar and sees partially autonomous maneuvers in operating yards as the next step, but remains cautious about fully autonomous long-haul trips. Competition from the USA and China could speed up the roll-out of autonomous trucks. » More on faz.net

MAN CEO Alexander Vlaskamp announces investments of about five billion euros by the early 2030s in products, services, plants and training, with a focus on electrification and autonomous driving. Around one billion will go to German locations (e.g., e-axles in Munich, battery production in Nuremberg), with additional capacity to be built in Poland; by 2030 a further 700 million euros is planned for the European service network. MAN aims to become more technologically independent (own battery software, a group-wide operating system from 2030) and sees itself as competitive despite Chinese competition and planned cuts of around 2,300 jobs in Germany; expanding charging infrastructure remains a central hurdle. » More on wiwo.de

Alexander Vlaskamp demands fair competition from the EU in the commercial vehicle sector and criticizes the competitive conditions created by Chinese manufacturers. He points to coercive requirements in China that force MAN to source 60–70% of parts locally and to produce only in joint ventures, and he also sees problematic subsidies. Vlaskamp urges the EU to respond similarly to the USA or Turkey, examining import protection, securing raw materials and support for the chemical industry to reduce production costs in Europe. » More on wiwo.de