MAN has started production of the new, highly efficient 13-litre MAN D30 diesel engine at its Nuremberg plant. After more than 100 years of diesel engine manufacturing at the plant, the D30 engine is the last of its kind. The company has invested around 220 million euros in the plant to realise the production and a further 30 million euros for the associated crankshaft production at the Salzgitter plant. The engine was developed jointly by the TRATON GROUP brands and sets new standards in terms of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. It is the largest standard engine in the portfolio, which is mounted in the 40-tonne MAN TGX and TGS semitrailer tractors. Nuremberg’s Lord Mayor Marcus König, TRATON CEO Christian Levin, Head of TRATON GROUP R&D Niklas Klingenberg, MAN CEO Alexander Vlaskamp, MAN Board member for Production & Logistics Michael Kobriger, Plant Manager Matthias Meindl and other guests visited the state-of-the-art production facility today for the start of production.
“In the TRATON GROUP, we are growing ever closer together and bundling our extensive expertise in joint developments. Today we are taking another important step in this direction. The completely newly developed engine is now also going into operation at MAN and I am sure that MAN customers will be delighted with the new drive,” says Christian Levin, CEO of TRATON SE.
MAN CEO Alexander Vlaskamp: “By 2030, every second vehicle we deliver to our customers is to have an emission-free drive. However, this also means that we will still need very efficient combustion engines for a long time on the road to the transformation to electromobility. In Nuremberg, we are therefore investing in both technologies, making the location future-proof and putting it on two strong legs. This is how we secure employment. And in Bavaria, we can count on the support of the Bavarian state government so that we can continue on this course.”
At the heart of the drives for combustion engines and electric vehicles
Following the ramp-up of production at the traditional Nuremberg plant, around 160 highly qualified employees will work on the D30 in three shifts. The technical capacity allows for the production of around 50,000 engines per year. It will be the last completely newly developed diesel commercial vehicle engine at MAN – there are no plans for a successor generation. The diesel engine thus bridges the gap in the transition from combustion engines to electrified drives. Its production launch will take place almost in parallel with the start of battery series production at the plant planned for spring. This means that Nuremberg will be producing the centrepieces of the drives for both combustion engines and electrically powered MAN vehicles for many years to come.
Best in class
The completely newly developed engine incorporates the combined expertise of the TRATON GROUP brands. The D30 is one of the most innovative commercial vehicle engines in the world – with a maximum efficiency of more than 50 per cent and one of the best fuel consumption figures in its class. In the MAN TGX, in combination with the so-called PowerLion driveline and aerodynamic measures, this leads to fuel savings of five per cent on average compared to a MAN TGX with the previous driveline generation, according to initial press tests. CO2 emissions are reduced to the same extent.
The D30 replaces the previously available D26 and D15 engine series. The D30 is available in six power levels from 380 to 560 hp (2,100 to 2,800 Nm).
SOURCE: MAN
