MAN Reaches Agreement with the Polish Government
MAN Truck & Bus is preparing another major expansion of its truck factory in Niepołomice near Kraków. The manufacturer has signed a preliminary agreement with the Polish government covering an investment programme worth more than PLN 5 billion.
The project will continue until 2038 and is intended to prepare the Polish plant for a new generation of heavy-duty trucks based on the TRATON Modular System.
The programme includes modern production technologies, electromobility and long-term automotive projects.
The investment will strengthen the role of Niepołomice within MAN’s European network. The Polish facility is expected to become one of the key production locations for the future commercial vehicle range of the wider TRATON Group.
The Plant Will Adopt the TRATON Modular System
A central part of the investment programme will be the introduction of the TRATON Modular System, or TMS.
The platform is being developed for the brands of the TRATON Group, including MAN, Scania, International and Volkswagen Truck & Bus. Its common architecture will allow manufacturers to share selected components, electronic systems, software and production technologies.
Each brand will nevertheless retain its own vehicle design, cab configurations and market positioning.
For TRATON, the modular system should reduce development expenses, simplify component purchasing and improve manufacturing flexibility. Plants will be able to redistribute capacity more efficiently between diesel, battery-electric and other low-emission vehicles.
This standardization is becoming increasingly important as manufacturers invest simultaneously in conventional trucks, electric vehicles and digital control systems.
Niepołomice Will Become a Fully Integrated Factory
MAN plans to increase the number of manufacturing operations performed directly in Poland.
The company intends to expand cab production, introduce additional body manufacturing processes and build a new paint shop. The programme will also include industrial infrastructure required for the next generation of trucks.
As a result, Niepołomice will move beyond its role as a final assembly location and become a more integrated production complex.
A greater share of local manufacturing will reduce the plant’s dependence on painted bodies and other components supplied by factories in Germany.
The expansion will also give MAN more flexibility when distributing production volumes between European sites. The company will be able to react more quickly to changing demand and disruptions in individual parts of the supply chain.
Poland Produces Its First Electric MAN Truck
The long-term investment agreement coincided with the launch of battery-electric truck production at the Polish plant.
The factory has already been adapted for electric vehicles. The first battery-powered truck to leave its production line was the 12-tonne MAN eTGL.
Production of the model will be concentrated in Poland, making the site a central location for MAN’s lighter electric truck range.
The eTGL is primarily intended for urban distribution, retail deliveries, parcel transport, municipal services and other short- and medium-distance operations.
Such applications are considered particularly suitable for electric vehicles. Trucks operate on predictable routes and usually return to the same depot, where charging can be organized overnight or between shifts.
Poland Becomes MAN’s Second Electric Truck Location
Niepołomice is becoming MAN’s second production location for electric trucks after Munich.
The German plant produces the heavy-duty MAN eTGX and eTGS, while the Polish facility will focus on the lighter eTGL. Other medium-duty electric models could also be produced there in the future.
This division allows MAN to use the specialization of different factories while expanding its battery-electric range across several weight categories.
The transition also demonstrates that electric truck production is moving beyond limited pilot batches. Manufacturers are beginning to integrate battery-powered vehicles into standard industrial processes.
This makes it possible to produce diesel and electric trucks within the same manufacturing network and adjust volumes according to customer demand.
The eTGL Targets Urban Logistics
With a gross vehicle weight of 12 tonnes, the MAN eTGL is the lightest model in the manufacturer’s electric truck portfolio.
The vehicle is designed for operations with relatively predictable daily mileage. It can be used for supermarket deliveries, parcel transport, municipal services and temperature-controlled logistics.
Its electric drivetrain reduces local exhaust emissions and noise. These advantages are becoming more important as European cities expand low-emission zones and tighten access requirements for commercial vehicles.
Locating eTGL production in Poland will allow MAN to supply this market from one of its largest European factories.
For transport operators, the decision to adopt electric trucks will depend not only on vehicle prices but also on charging infrastructure, electricity costs, daily mileage and available depot time.
MAN Has Already Invested PLN 900 Million
The new programme worth more than PLN 5 billion follows an earlier modernization of the plant.
Between 2021 and 2023, MAN invested almost PLN 900 million in Niepołomice. The reconstruction increased the production area by approximately one third and tripled manufacturing capacity.
The facility became one of MAN’s most important industrial locations and a major cab production centre.
It supplies approximately two thirds of the bodies used for MAN trucks across the company’s manufacturing network.
The next investment stage will strengthen this role through additional body production, painting operations and equipment required for TRATON Modular System vehicles.
The Expansion Will Reshape Poland’s Supply Chain
The programme will affect not only MAN but also automotive suppliers, transport companies and warehouse operators in Poland.
Higher production volumes will increase demand for metal structures, electronic components, cab equipment, battery systems and industrial machinery.
Additional cargo flows will emerge between suppliers, the Niepołomice plant and MAN’s international distribution network.
The transition to a common modular platform may also change the structure of deliveries. Standardized components will be used at several TRATON factories instead of being developed for only one brand or model.
Suppliers may gain access to larger contracts but will need to meet common group requirements for quality, delivery times, digital data exchange and production stability.
For logistics providers, the project could generate more regular road freight, inter-factory transport and just-in-time component deliveries.
Poland Gains a Stronger Role in European Manufacturing
MAN’s decision confirms Poland’s growing importance in the European commercial vehicle industry.
Niepołomice can no longer be viewed only as an assembly site. Following several modernization projects, it has become a large technological complex with an important role in MAN’s international production system.
The introduction of the TRATON Modular System will further strengthen its position. The Polish factory will participate in producing a new generation of trucks for different markets based on a common group architecture.
For MAN, Poland offers substantial manufacturing capacity, a qualified workforce and access to an established automotive supply network.
For the Polish economy, the project brings long-term industrial investment and supports a transition from traditional vehicle assembly toward electromobility, software systems and more advanced production technologies.
The Investment Will Affect Plant Employees
The expansion will require new skills and higher levels of employee qualification. Workers will need to handle battery systems, power electronics, digital diagnostics and the new modular manufacturing architecture.
At the same time, a major investment programme does not remove questions surrounding pay and employment conditions. Employees at the facility had previously threatened strike action over a dispute involving employee bonuses, demonstrating the importance of labour relations for the plant’s further development.
As production expands, the company will need not only to install new equipment but also to retain experienced workers, provide training and negotiate operational changes with employee representatives.
Because Niepołomice is becoming more important to MAN’s network, labour disruptions could affect not only the Polish plant but also supplies of cabs and trucks to other European locations.
The Project Will Transform MAN’s European Network
The investment programme forms part of MAN’s wider transformation involving electrification, digitalization and modular vehicle architecture.
Factories will need to integrate batteries, electronic control systems and new software alongside traditional mechanical components.
The shared platform will also require closer coordination between MAN, Scania and the other TRATON brands.
Niepołomice is expected to play a central role in this system. The plant will combine high-volume truck assembly, cab manufacturing, electric vehicle production and future TMS-based models.
With more than PLN 5 billion planned by 2038, the Polish factory is set to become one of the key sites in MAN’s next production generation.
