Together, Volkswagen Group Logistics and MAN Truck & Bus aim to accelerate the electrification of road freight transport. The battery-electric trucks are seen as the decisive lever for achieving climate targets in the transport sector. At an industry meeting on November 5, 2025, at the MAN Truck Forum in Munich, the two companies made this clear. Representatives from logistics, industry and infrastructure discussed the status of the transformation there. In addition, Simon Motter, head of Volkswagen Group Logistics, Friedrich Baumann, MAN Board member Sales and Customer Service, and Nanno Janssen from the Nanno Janssen freight forwarding company spoke in a press conference about their experiences, strategies and challenges.
Strategic Goals and Motivation
From the outset, Simon Motter stressed emphatically that the company clearly commits to the Paris Climate Agreement and pursues the reduction of CO₂ emissions in road transport as a strategic goal. The group does not only want to support pioneers but enable broad adoption of electric trucks, his statement said. “For strategic reasons we are convinced that electric trucks are the future,” Motter said. For all partners, access to suitable financing options must be made available.
In the initiative “goTozero impact logistics,” Volkswagen relies on sustainable technologies to make transports more climate-friendly. Besides ecological aspects, Motter also emphasized economic considerations: A battery-electric truck currently costs about 2.5 times as
much to purchase as a diesel model, but can amortize through lower operating costs. The electricity price is decisive. With the MAN Charge Card, it currently stands at around 39 cents per kilowatt-hour.
MAN puts electric trucks into series
Friedrich Baumann, meanwhile, drew a first positive balance a little over six months after the start of E-truck production on the pre-series line. “Not everything is running perfectly yet, but it is gaining momentum now,” was his assessment. More than 300 vehicles are already on the market, more than 1,000 ordered. By 2030, around half of all trucks sold in Europe are to be electric.
The MAN eTGX and eTGS models have been available since October 2023. Thanks to modular battery technology, they can cover different use profiles—from distribution transport to automotive logistics. Baumann emphasized that MAN is currently the only manufacturer that also offers so-called Lowliner variants with a low loading height, as they are used, for example, in the automotive industry’s supplier logistics.
Baumann cited the biggest obstacles in the interview: high acquisition costs, still insufficient charging infrastructure and difficult financing conditions. To achieve the targeted electrification rate, around 3,000 truck charging points would be needed in Germany alone. For that, there must be sufficient power capacities and the expansion of the grids.
Practical Experiences
How the use of battery-electric
trucks works in everyday life was demonstrated by the Nanno Janssen freight forwarding company from Leer. The East Frisian company already has 35 electric trucks in its fleet and a further 23 ordered—delivery scheduled for early 2026. Managing Director Nanno Janssen reported in a press conference that his operation had already decided in 2021 to pursue electric mobility consistently. He has not really regretted that so far. “Long-haul transport with electric trucks is already possible in Europe today. Now it’s about scaling the technology,” Janssen is convinced.
Its vehicles operate nationwide and internationally. In East Frisia, the company benefits from the high availability of renewable energy and its own electricity connection with four megawatts at the depot. The trucks charge during driving and rest periods. “That works well for me with the current generation,” the freight forwarder assures.
However, he also attributes infrastructure to having a backlog for large parts of Europe. Only in Scandinavia is it a “dream”; in Germany it is at least still good. In Western Europe the situation is sometimes more difficult, while Turkey already has many charging stations. To make charging easier for drivers, the company uses Tobias Wagner’s E-Trucker app, which shows available charging points along routes. Route planning is conducted centrally, but the drivers should still be able to independently find suitable charging stations.
Janssen is convinced that regional freight forwarders have a competitive advantage through their own electricity production. Public charging is economically less attractive because electricity costs are higher. Companies with large fleets could, however, negotiate special tariffs with charging providers by guaranteeing fixed quantities. Which, in turn, advantages companies that go all-in with large electric fleets.
Economic Aspects and Service
Motter explained in the interview that the cost structure of battery-electric vehicles shifts significantly compared with diesel-powered vehicles. While with diesel roughly half of the costs are for fuel and tolls, with the electric truck depreciation dominates. Therefore, the right electricity price mix is crucial. “If at last the transmission price comes, where the market price of electricity is passed through, that would be a very decisive step,” Motter said.
Baumann added that the parts and service revenue per vehicle will decline, because electric trucks have fewer wear parts. In addition, the vehicles are likely to stay in operation longer. “So why should a Nanno Janssen replace the vehicle after four years?” he asked. He did not provide concrete statements about service costs either. His company currently sends the vehicles more frequently to the workshop as a precaution to gain experience, said the freight forwarder, who has long been purchasing the electric trucks without subsidies — precisely because of the economic advantages.
