For the first time, Volkswagen Truck & Bus will be presenting itself to a broad public as a group of strong brands at the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2016. On the evening prior to the opening of the world's largest commercial vehicles trade show, the company will be displaying the exhibition highlights created by MAN, Scania, Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, all under one common roof.
In addition to numerous new products, special focus will also be on the topics of alternative drives and connected commercial vehicles. In line with this, the evening event is presented under the slogan, "Get connected. Driving transportation to the next level." Volkswagen Truck & Bus will be showing a large number of technologies in Hanover, aimed at enhancing sustainability in the sector of transporting people and goods. These will make commercial vehicles even cleaner and transport processes generally more intelligent.
Andreas Renschler, CEO of Volkswagen Truck & Bus and member of the Volkswagen AG Management Board responsible for Commercial Vehicles, is delighted: "This is a special moment for our still young enterprise, but also for me personally, to be able to present the innovative strength of our brands here in Hanover on a combined basis for the first time. We have set ourselves a clear goal in that we aim to become Global Champion in the industry in the course of the next decade. And the coming decade will change the world of commercial vehicles more than the last fifty years. The reason for this is digitalization. This is why we have developed a new brand RIO, which will help all those involved in the transportation ecosystem to become more profitable. By the end of 2017, every truck produced by MAN and Scania will be online. Even today, we are Europe's leading brand in the segment of connected commercial vehicles. We shall be progressively changing from being purely a vehicle manufacturer to become a provider of intelligent transport systems." RIO offers all players along the transportation chain an open-source, cloud-based digital platform, thereby providing considerably more transparency and efficiency, as well as benefiting the environment.
Alternative drives and electromobility
Even based on conventional diesel engines, today's modern trucks and buses are already very clean. MAN, Scania and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles will, for instance, be presenting their latest engine generations at the IAA Commercial Vehicles, which lead the way in terms of efficiency, low fuel consumption and reduced emissions. In addition, Volkswagen Truck & Bus will be showing the entire range of alternative drive concepts offered by its brands. To an increasing extent, these also include electric drives, which are set to play an ever more important role in the commercial vehicles sector.
In future, the brands operated by Volkswagen Truck & Bus will be offering customers a broad selection of electric vehicles. From the e-load up! and eCrafter produced by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, along with the hybrid and electric buses produced by MAN and Scania, to the MAN eTruck, a heavy-duty urban distribution vehicle, their portfolio will, in the near future, cover almost all areas of application. But the diesel engine still has a long way to go. "Notably in the case of long-haul transport or on construction sites, the diesel engine will continue to play a significant role for some time yet," says Andreas Renschler, adding that, "Even if everyone is currently talking about electromobility, we don´t intend to let ourselves be restricted with regard to our technological scope. Which is why purely electric drives obviously have their place in our development strategy, just as much as fuel cells, hybrid drives, biodiesel and gas. We cannot dictate to customers what they should use, but we will be offering them exactly the solution that is ideal for their purpose and also generates a commercial advantage."
New models at the IAA 2016
Not only will Volkswagen Truck & Bus brands be displaying a firework of innovations with their digital solutions, but also with the vehicles themselves. These include the following highlights:
MAN will be presenting its new TGE for the first time. In the range of models offered by the Munich-based truck manufacturer, this transporter occupies the segment of light commercial vehicles with a permissible gross weight of between 3.0 and 5.5 tonnes. The TGE is MAN's first answer to those light transportation tasks arising in the transport and haulage sector in the course of daily working life. This will be impressively demonstrated by three different bodywork options on the MAN stand in Hall 12, Stand B14.
Scania's appearance at the trade fair will be marked entirely by its new truck generation. This is the result of ten years of development work and offers the most advanced vehicle technology for heavy-duty commercial vehicles. The new truck generation presented by Scania reduces fuel consumption by an average of 5% – thanks to more sophisticated engine technology and state-of-the-art aerodynamic solutions. Its new S and R-series vehicles, along with many other novel innovations, will be awaiting visitors in Hall 17, Stand B06.
Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus will be presenting an anniversary version of its successful heavy-duty transport model in the form of the Constellation 25/420. Over the past ten years, more than 180,000 vehicles have been sold, making the company the market leader in Brazil. Offering 420 hp and a torque of 1 850 Nm, it is the first choice for heavy-duty transportation tasks, not only in Brazil. Its robustness and reliability make it perfect for operating conditions in developing economies. Visitors can find Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus in Hall 12, Stand B14.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles will be showing several versions of its entirely newly-developed Crafter, which have been specifically designed to cater for customer needs. These offer a higher payload, greater load capacity, optimized overall dimensions and a large number of drives and derivatives. Above all, a newly-developed and finely-tuned chassis coupled with innovative assistance systems provide for convincing driving behaviour and a significant gain in safety, along with the aspect of fully upgraded comfort in this vehicle category. Reaching 0.33, the new Crafter offers the best Cd value in this class of vehicles. The new Crafter and many other Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles innovations can be viewed in Hall 12, Stand B04.
Volkswagen Truck & Bus
Volkswagen Truck & Bus GmbH is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Volkswagen AG and is a global leader in commercial vehicles with its brands MAN, Scania, and Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus. In 2015, the brands of Volkswagen Truck & Bus sold a total of 179,000 vehicles. Its product range includes medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses that are manufactured at 25 sites in 17 countries. As of December 31, 2015, the Company employed 76,000 people within all commercial vehicle brands worldwide. Volkswagen Truck & Bus is committed to creating a Global Champion in terms of profitability, customer innovations, and global presence. Already today, the Group has a leading market position in the European and South American truck markets.
