European commercial vehicles manufacturer MAN strengthens its position in Russia

For the second time in a row, MAN is the No. 1 amongst European commercial vehicles manufacturers in Russia in fiscal 2011. With sales of over 7,600 trucks and 220 buses, MAN has reached pre-crisis order volume levels again. The company’s market share of European-brand trucks over twelve tonnes in 2011 was around 26 percent.

"Efficient transport solutions, reliable vehicles and the satisfaction of our customers are the three pillars of our strategy," says Lars Himmer, Head of the MAN Sales Region CIS and Managing Director of MAN Truck & Bus RUS. "Last year we saw clear signs of recovery on the Russian market. Our range of products places us in the vanguard of the growing trend towards efficient and ecologically sound vehicle concepts and will enable us to continue strengthening our position there," Himmer continued.

As recently as the end of 2011, MAN was able to conclude two major orders in Russia. In the course of modernising the local public transport service in Wladiwostok, the Russian city’s Administrative Council ordered 50 MAN city buses. The vehicles comply with the highest safety, environmental and efficiency standards and are being operated on the city’s regular service routes by municipal transport company VPOPAT-1.

Already delivered in full is the order from LIAZ, a subsidiary of Russia’s biggest automobile company, GAZ Group. This order comprised 2,188 engines ranging from efficient diesel engines to natural-gas engines. The 12- to 18-metre city buses equipped with these engines will operate mainly in the local public transport system of the Russian metropolis of Moscow, but bus services in St. Petersburg and other Russian cities will also be powered by MAN’s advanced drive technology.

Russia is an important sales market in the framework of the MAN Truck & Bus international growth strategy. In order to consolidate itself still further on the Russian market as a successful manufacturer of efficient commercial vehicles, MAN Truck & Bus is investing around €25 million in setting up its own production facility in St. Petersburg. Mid-2012 will see MAN Truck & Bus Production RUS starting with the production of heavy TGS WW trucks with Euro 4 engines. In the medium term, the St. Petersburg site will reach a production capacity of approximately 6,000 vehicles a year.