At MAN Truck & Bus, apparently significant cutbacks could affect the German plants. As the Süddeutsche Zeitung reports, IG Metall warns of "serious decisions" by the company that are to be made this week. According to the information, the affected would be mainly the German production sites, including the main plant in Munich.
Union warns of cutbacks
The union has, together with works councils from several plants, addressed the public and pointed to possible cutbacks. According to the SZ report, it is conceivable that investments or certain production areas could be relocated abroad.
The decisions are expected to focus on the Munich, Nuremberg and Salzgitter
plants. The backdrop are rising input and energy costs as well as a persistently difficult market. The company feels increasing competitive pressure. The Süddeutsche Zeitung points to the Swedish corporate rival Scania, which reportedly shows higher profitability.
Lack of market recovery
Only at the end of October did MAN Truck & Bus publish current figures and report that the expected market recovery has not materialized so far. Chief Financial Officer Inka Koljonen said at the end of October that they see no significant market recovery in the long term. The core markets in Europe – especially Germany – continue to be weak. Contributing factors include
a weak economy, rising Chinese competition in electric vehicles, and the tightened requirements of European climate policy.
The company emphasizes that despite difficult conditions it continues to work on its crisis resilience. This statement aligns with the assessments from the quarterly report, in which MAN points to the need to become structurally more competitive.
Business figures in the third quarter
Despite these economic tensions, MAN Truck & Bus reported a solid result for the first nine months. According to the company, revenue remained almost stable at €9.9 billion. Sales rose by four percent to slightly more than 71,000 vehicles. The business with buses and vans
developed particularly strongly. Sales of the van model TGE increased by eighteen percent and, according to the company, reached the strongest month since market launch in September. Bus sales also grew by more than a third.
Electromobility grows strongly
MAN has seen growth in the first nine months of the year mainly in vehicles with electric propulsion. Sales in the period stood at 1,090 units, almost three times higher than the previous year. At the end of September the company also unveiled a new fully electric intercity bus. Electric mobility is expected to gain importance in the coming years and is a strategic focus of
