MAN to open more battery repair centres

In addition to its existing two battery repair centres in Germany and Spain, MAN plans to build more hubs in 2024 and 2025. The new sites will be located in Italy, Denmark/Norway, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Poland and the UK. Other European countries are also being considered as MAN aims to open a battery repair centre in every market with its electric commercial vehicles. 

Christopher Kunstmann, senior vice president customer service management at MAN Truck & Bus, said: "Battery repair is a necessity for MAN in order to ensure the economic efficiency and operational readiness of our customers' electric vehicles at a high level. We also make a major contribution to the closed-loop approach of traction batteries, as this extends the battery life in the vehicle, which conserves important resources." 

Across Europe there are currently more than 1000 electric MAN buses and over 2400 electric MAN vans in operation. The battery repair hubs are seen as a necessity in anticipation of MAN’s eTruck generation which will reach customers this year. 

These repair centres will be equipped to meet legal requirements for each country they are set up in. Specialised tooling and protective equipment will be available to support trained electricians to complete battery assessments and refurbishments. 

This initiative is part of MAN’s closed loop and sustainability strategies. The company is also a member of the REVAMP project consortium which seeks to automate battery condition assessments. Teachings from this will inform the way batteries are used after their first life. Depending on battery condition and the ability to repair faulty cells, a battery can be given a second use in another vehicle. Alternatively, it can be given a second life in a different application. REVAMP is backed by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK).

MAN is also exploring how to recycle and reuse the raw materials found in batteries into new cells. The company believes this is a key area to focus on to decarbonise the supply chain. 

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