MAN has long known that design really is a necessary product factor. With trucks and buses in particular, a large part of the fuel consumption is due to wind resistance. Here, aerodynamic improvements in the design have a correspondingly positive and cost-saving effect. MAN Nutzfahrzeuge takes this into account during development because our declared goal is to cut total operating costs.

It’s not just with the exterior shape that MAN is a trendsetter. MAN Nutzfahrzeuge’s research and development is equally at the forefront in engine and drive technologies. The Nuremburg development center was recently completed following four years of building and renovation at a cost of 35 million Euros. The Nuremburg site provides MAN with a global competence center for the development of commercial vehicles and industrial engines.

Over 10,000 square meters, MAN has created 16 state-of-the-art dynamic engine testing systems as well as a universal vehicle testing system, development laboratories and space for 150 workstations. Here, the MAN specialists can measure emissions; optimize consumption and performance as well as test engine components for mechanical strength.

With the new testing systems more and more test runs are being transferred from the road to the laboratory. That increases the accuracy of measurement and makes the measurement conditions more comparable. Above all, the new development center is environmentally friendly: the tests save fuel, cause less noise and the entire test center has been optimized to the latest standards to reduce energy usage.

The results speak for themselves. Since 1988, the particle emissions of trucks in city traffic have fallen by 97% and nitrogen oxide emissions were reduced by 86% over the same period. The next stage of the European exhaust emission regulations has already been decided: in accordance with Euro VI, the permitted particulate matter must be reduced by around 50% again and the emission of nitrogen oxide reduced by 80% from 2013. MAN Nutzfahrzeuge has reacted accordingly, investing over 10 million euros in emission measurement technology alone over the last 2 years.

It’s not just in Europe that MAN accepts responsibility for protecting the environment, but worldwide. MAN Latin America’s Brazilian commercial vehicle builders are pioneers in the use of biodiesel. Today, their trucks are already powered by a biodiesel mixture of up to 20% and in 2010 the first trucks that can be powered using pure biodiesel will be delivered. Efforts that count! With its commercial vehicles, MAN is number 1 in Brazil, number 2 in Europe and number 3 worldwide in heavy trucks.

All forecasts point to the fact that almost 35% more goods will be transported in Europe by 2030 ─ and roads will remain the most important transport routes for regional and national freight traffic. MAN’s commercial vehicles will make a significant contribution to ensuring that doesn’t happen at the expense of the environment.

MAN. Engineering the Future – since 1758.