MAN Truck & Bus Italia chose its first participation in Ecomondo to present its strategy for expanding in the market for bodied commercial vehicles, with particular attention to waste collection and environmental services. The starting point is the structure of the Italian market, where chassis-cabs account for 55% of registrations. In this segment, the German manufacturer is focusing on the breadth of its range and configurations developed for individual applications. MAN is applying the proven model used in the quarrying and construction sector, where it has progressively strengthened its position through a segment-by-segment approach, starting with market analysis and continuing with product development, sales network specialisation and relationships with bodybuilders.
In 2026, MAN extended the same approach to refuse compactor trucks. The Italian subsidiary analysed market data and purchasing procedures, trained specialist sales staff, strengthened cooperation with leading bodybuilders and introduced a dedicated tender support service. One of the first results is that, in the first nine months of 2026, MAN's market share in refuse compactor trucks over 6 tonnes reached 4.1%, placing it fourth in the segment.
For MAN, customising a commercial vehicle means configuring it according to the work it will perform. At the Ecomondo stand, we saw the MAN TGX 26.480 6x2-4 BL fitted with a CBS hooklift system for containers up to seven metres long. It featured the Application Fit digital interface, which manages data exchange between the vehicle and its body equipment and allows certain functions to be configured according to the required specification. Alongside it was the electric eTGS 28.449 6x2-4 BL, equipped with a 20-cubic-metre Terberg eROTOlympus rear-loading refuse compactor, driven by an electric power take-off and powered by five battery packs. Its estimated range of up to 200 kilometres also takes into account the energy consumed by the body equipment.
The flexibility of electric vehicle body configurations depends on the MAN Modular Battery System, manufactured in Nuremberg, where the company has converted part of a plant historically dedicated to diesel engine production to manufacture up to 100,000 battery packs a year. Development takes place entirely in Germany, from cell chemistry and management software through to the finished battery pack, and the plant is operating at full capacity. The packs can be positioned along the chassis and beneath the cab according to customer requirements: between three and six in the medium- and heavy-duty ranges, two to four in light-duty vehicles, and up to seven in certain tractor units developed to order, a configuration that allows ranges exceeding 600–700 kilometres on a single charge. The platform is technically designed to accommodate vehicles weighing up to 50 tonnes, should the European Union increase its weight limits. Battery modularity allows configurations for waste collection, swap bodies, hooklift systems and the transport of dangerous goods under ADR regulations. In refuse compactor trucks, modularity allows the chassis to be adapted to the body equipment: with a side loader, all batteries are moved to the left-hand side and the loading system is installed on the right, while rear-loading configurations distribute the batteries on both sides to balance the weight.
By manufacturing its own batteries, MAN must comply with European safety and recycling regulations. The manufacturer supplements the minimum EU standards with its own tests, including crash tests and immersion of battery packs in diesel fuel. In recycling, it already recovers 70% of the battery, the same threshold set by the European Union for 2030, and is working towards the Volkswagen Group's internal target of 97%. To support customers through the transition, MAN Transport Solutions helps operators and transport customers assess routes, energy consumption and range, plan charging infrastructure, train drivers and gradually convert their fleets.
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