MAN Truck & Bus founds Center of Competence for hybrid drives

www.chinatrucks.com: MAN bolsters development of efficient and economical hybrid drives for trucks and buses. Now MAN Truck & Bus is consolidating all its R&D activities in the field of hybrid technology in a newly created Center of Competence, which at the same time is increasing its staff. "We are convinced that hybrid technology will play a fundamental role in the future of all commercial-vehicle segments, from the city bus to the long-haul truck, in the continued increase of efficiency and conservation of resources, thus smoothing the path to E-mobility. The new Center of Competence will concentrate on hybrid technology from research right up to series production in the various product segments", explains Bernd Maierhofer, Director of R&D and Purchasing of MAN Truck & Bus AG. At the same time, the new Center of Competence forms the interface to co-operation partners and suppliers as well as to further experts with know-how, for example from universities.

MAN Truck & Bus is one of the trailblazers of hybrid drives for commercial vehicles and is working on technologies to recuperate braking energy and save fuel and thus CO2. In September last year, MAN Truck & Bus launched the first series-production commercial vehicle with serial hybrid drive: the MAN Lion's City Hybrid uses up to 30 percent less fuel than a conventional, diesel-powered city bus. This is the equivalent of a CO2 reduction of around 30 percent. Moreover, the fact that the MAN Lion's City Hybrid pulls away from traffic lights and bus stops in almost complete silence is compelling. The MAN Lion's City Hybrid has already been honoured with several international awards and is in strong demand from municipal transport authorities. In Munich, Paris, Barcelona, Milan, Vienna and other cities the vehicle is already in regular operation on scheduled routes. Orders for a further 66 of these vehicles have been received to date; delivery is scheduled for 2011.

The introduction of hybrid drives for commercial vehicles is a major challenge for all manufacturers, given the users' vastly different requirements profiles: while regular-service buses in cities operate in a continual cycle of acceleration and deceleration, long-haul trucks run at largely constant speeds over long distances on motorways. Trucks in the construction industry require high levels of power and traction, under some circumstances also having to drive power take-offs. Distribution trucks operate with varying loads both in and between cities. MAN is currently working intensively on a hybrid drive for this type of operation.

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