German commercial vehicle manufacturer and Volkswagen subsidiary, Traton, is investing a total of EUR1.6 billion in research and development for e-mobility by 2025. At the same time, Traton says it is scaling back investments in conventional drives of these to make up less than one-fifth of its product development in 2025.
The Traton Group brands, namely, MAN, Scania, and Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus have already set concrete targets for 2025 and 2030: electric vehicles will make up around 10% of Scania’s European unit sales in 2025, with half of MAN’s new buses also equipped with an electric drive system by the same date. By 2030, every second vehicle sold by Scania will be powered electrically and at least 60% of MAN’s delivery trucks and 40% of its long-haul trucks will be zero-emission.
For alternative drives, Traton’s main focus is on battery electric vehicles, as well as hydrogen technology. Most of the time, pure electric trucks will outperform their hydrogen counterparts as the more cost-efficient and eco-friendly solution for trucks, especially long-haul trucks, it said.