MAN Truck & Bus, a European commercial vehicle manufacturer, and ABB E-mobility entered a cooperation agreement at the 2024 Consumer Electronics (CES) show in Las Vegas. The strategic partnership, primarily focused on research and development, aims to enhance collaboration in the commercial vehicle industry, the companies said.

“Cooperation in the area of research and development is rather rare in our industry,” Thomas Nickels, senior vice president of engineering, at MAN said. “Together with ABB E-mobility, we are striving for a trusting, binding and transparent partnership. We are already starting with the development of products and standards and are focusing on the special requirements of the commercial vehicle industry.”

Nickels said this partnership is particularly significant in the development of megawatt charging systems (MCS), which he said are essential for sustainable and economical long-distance transport of heavy goods and passengers.

“At MCS, we are working with players from the entire sector to enable charging capacities in the megawatt range in the future,” he said. “The collaboration with ABB E-mobility is expected to address early-stage challenges of new technology and accelerate standardization.”

The partnership involves working on the ISO15118-20 communication standard and exploring new signal transmission methods. The goal is to conduct early software and interoperability tests with vehicles and charging stations to establish reliable products in a rapidly evolving market. The collaboration aims to create an ecosystem that functions seamlessly and reliably, addressing challenges like space, energy supply and grid expansion, the companies said.