All three brands – MAN, Scania, and Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus – had a part to play in the Group’s sales success in the first quarter of 2018. “Volkswagen Truck & Bus remained on track in the first three months of 2018, building on last year’s success. We are also able to reap the benefits of the strong demand for commercial vehicles in our key markets with our attractive product portfolio. The cooperation between our brands pays off for the Group, producing valuable synergies. This has already enhanced our brands’ competitive strengths and allows us to target new areas of growth as a Group,” said Andreas Renschler, CEO of Volkswagen Truck & Bus and member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG.
2018: steady growth across virtually all regions
The Group’s truck business performed well in the first three months of 2018. The brands of Volkswagen Truck & Bus sold 46,770 trucks, equivalent to an increase of 11% year-on-year. With sales of 27,260 trucks in the EU28+2 region (EU member states, Norway, and Switzerland), the Group was up around 3% on the previous year. Boasting a market share of 31.1%, Volkswagen Truck & Bus continues to top the EU28+2 region's truck segment. The number of vehicles sold in Russia rose considerably by around 60% to reach 2,220 units as a result of the country’s economic recovery and the demand for replacement vehicles. Sales in South America climbed to 9,490 trucks, a clear increase of around 60% when measured against the first quarter of 2017. This is attributable partly to economic recovery, but primarily to the Group’s strong position as market leader in the Brazilian truck business with a market share of 42.1%.
The three brands of Volkswagen Truck & Bus also recorded sales growth in the bus business in the first three months of 2018. A total of 5,110 buses were sold, approximately 36% more than in the previous year. This was primarily helped by the higher sales in South America.
MAN: world premiere of the new Lion’s City bus, launch of electric van eTGE, handover of first platoons to DB Schenker, partnership with Solera
MAN presented its new MAN Lion’s City bus at its in-house exhibition MAN BusDays in March 2018. MAN’s brand-new generation of city buses stands out thanks to its efficiency, comfort, and an ergonomic design and already complies with the Euro 6d emission standard that will apply as of September 1, 2019. The Lion’s City also comes with an optional MAN EfficientHybrid module, which improves fuel efficiency and lowers emissions further.
The eTGE, which was also presented in March 2018, is another newcomer to join the MAN ranks. Having launched the TGE in 2017, MAN expanded its product portfolio to include a light-duty commercial vehicle, whereas the eTGE marks an important step toward electric mobility for the Company. The eTGE boasts a range of up to 160 km and a load capacity of up to 1.7 tons, designed for urban and zero-emission distribution needs.
As part of the platooning research project in cooperation with DB Schenker and the Fresenius University of Applied Sciences, first MAN platoons were handed over to DB Schenker at MAN’s Munich headquarters in February 2018. In the future, truck convoys will be road tested on the A9 highway between Munich and Nuremberg as part of regular operations. The cooperation initiative is supported by researchers from Fresenius to investigate the impact new technology has on drivers.
MAN is also making headway in the field of digitalization. A partnership with Solera was set up in March 2018 with a long-term horizon and the aim of pressing further ahead with digitalizing after-sales activities.
Scania: new R500 truck wins the “Green Truck Award”, platooning cooperation initiative with Ahola, partnership with Haylion
In March 2018, Scania won the prestigious “Green Truck Award” for its R500 model, which was launched in 2017. Consuming less than 25 liters of fuel for every 100 km, the R500 was by far the most fuel-efficient vehicle in the lineup. The test took place under real-life conditions on German highways. This accolade is awarded every year together with German automotive magazines Verkehrs-Rundschau and Trucker.
The cooperation initiative with Finnish logistics company Ahola, which Scania entered into in March 2018, marks a milestone for the company and will see Scania platoons tested on public roads in Finland. In order to make platooning a viable option for everyday use, Ahola and Scania will join forces to carry out tests under different weather conditions and in different traffic scenarios. Much like the MAN platooning project with DB Schenker, this test should let the companies experience how platooning can reduce fuel consumption and further lower the risk of accidents on public roads.
Scania entered into a cooperation initiative with Haylion Technologies in February 2018 within the framework of its innovation activities. The cooperation partners’ joint aim is to encourage autonomous driving applications to be used commercially.
Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus maintains leadership in Brazil
A specialist in emerging markets, the company once again maintained its leadership position in the Brazilian market. On top of that, Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus scooped up the industry’s important “Lotus Award” in more than one category. For example, it was awarded Brand of the Year for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty trucks, with the new VW Delivery crowned Brazil’s Truck of the Year.
RIO launches Marketplace and expands product portfolio to include RIO Maintenance, RIO Compliant, RIO Advance, and RIO Geo
RIO has systematically expanded its product portfolio over the first quarter of 2018. This includes RIO Maintenance for maintenance and condition data, RIO Compliant for tachograph and ticket data, as well as RIO Advance with longer data storage periods, and RIO Geo to determine the real-time position of the individual vehicles.
The RIO Marketplace launched back in January 2018 and can be used by customers to book RIO services. OEM services from Volkswagen Truck & Bus and partner solutions will also be offered there in the future. The first OEM service from MAN DigitalService is already available on the RIO Marketplace in the form of MAN ServiceCare. With a view to expand the target audience of RIO services, these are now available in ten languages in total: German, English, French, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Czech, Danish, Dutch, and Romanian.
Volkswagen Truck & Bus GmbH is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Volkswagen AG and a leading commercial vehicle manufacturer worldwide with its MAN, Scania, and Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus brands. In 2017, Volkswagen Truck & Bus GmbH’s brands sold around 205,000 vehicles in total. Its offering comprises light-, medium-, and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, trucks, and buses that are produced at 31 sites in 17 countries. The Company had a workforce of around 81,000 worldwide across its commercial vehicle brands as of December 31, 2017. The Group seeks to realign the transportation system through its products, its services, and as a partner for its customers.
1The Power Engineering business area is legally a part of Volkswagen Truck & Bus GmbH but is not included in commercial vehicles operations.