European MAN partners are investing in service and dealership networks
MAN Truck & Bus will invest significantly more in developing its service network by 2030 than originally planned. With the help of dealers and partners, approximately 700 million euros are set to be allocated by the end of 2030 for expanding and improving Europe’s service and distribution network.
MAN had already announced in the spring that it intended to invest 300 million euros itself in its own network. In addition, MAN’s dealers, service partners, and importers now plan to invest around 400 million euros in their MAN service centers across Europe. Approximately one-third of these planned investments will be directed toward electrification and digitalization — from high-voltage training for service staff to battery repair centers, as well as the establishment of publicly accessible charging points at MAN locations.
"The scale of these investments is unprecedented in MAN’s history," emphasizes Friedrich Baumann, Head of Sales and Customer Solutions at MAN. "It is a strong initiative by MAN and its partners, who are clearly demonstrating their confidence in our products and the brand as a whole through their planned additional commitment. Our customers will benefit from this, and in the long term, we will be able to support them with an even better service."
Expansion of the charging network in partnership with E.On
The charging network infrastructure integrated into the program is carried out in cooperation with energy company E.On, as is well known. Under the project announced in 2024, a number of MAN service centers will be equipped with publicly accessible charging points for electric trucks. Together, the partners aim to establish up to 400 charging points at around 170 locations across Europe, with as many as 125 of those located in Germany alone. MAN cites the locations in Berlin-Wildau, Fürstenwalde, and Karlsfeld, as well as the Austrian site in Eugendorf and Čestlice in Czechia, as sites that have already been put into operation. “Additional stations will open in various markets this year,” the manufacturer said in spring, without going into further detail at that time.
In principle, MAN emphasizes that investing in the European service network is intended to further strengthen customer loyalty. The 300 million euros in internal investment by 2030 is considered by the Munich-based company to be a budgetary initiative unprecedented for it thus far. Interestingly, MAN already has a fairly extensive network of service and sales locations today: there are around 1,200 MAN-owned and partner businesses across Europe, employing a total of approximately 7,000 people (in MAN-owned companies). Through the breakdown and mobility service MAN Mobile24, around 2,000 MAN service centers and partners ensure close support. In Germany alone, the MAN service network includes more than 340 own and partner service locations.
"Our strong network is a competitive advantage."
Friedrich Baumann explained in spring why MAN still invests so much in its service network despite its strict cost-cutting measures and layoffs: “A strong brand needs a strong service network. We have one, and we are making it even stronger now. Along with our sales team, our repair shops represent us to our customers. Our robust network is a competitive advantage that we want to further develop. That’s why we are making substantial investments here in the coming years, as the combination of product, service, and high quality will become even more important in the future amid new competitors.”
The new competitors likely refer to the announced Chinese brands in the truck sector, many of which have also registered for the IAA Transportation in two weeks. In the bus market, Yutong, BYD, and others have already been competitive for some time. Therefore, Baumann wants to “make his company stand out even more significantly in terms of service and establish a sustainable position.” He explains, “The commercial vehicle business is much more complex and service-intensive compared to passenger cars. The daily availability of vehicles is essential for our customers’ businesses. To succeed, we must be very close to our customers and offer top-notch service.”
The manufacturer also translates the desired service value into target figures: For example, it aims for almost 80 percent of customers to have a travel time of less than 30 minutes to the nearest MAN service center in the future. The key markets where this goal is to be achieved prioritarily by 2030 include Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, as well as France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Poland, and Turkey. Moreover, “In certain regions with particularly high logistics demands, this goal is to be reached by establishing new service centers. On average, we open seven new branches per year in these countries,” explains Baumann.
The first locations for new facilities are now ready to be established: In Portugal, according to MAN, the groundbreaking ceremony for a new MAN-owned sales and service branch took place recently near Lisbon. Additionally, a new location is set to open in Lithuania: “A long-term MAN partner, the Adampolis Group in Kaunas, will open one of the largest sales and service centers for MAN vehicles in all of Europe this year,” says the company’s headquarters.