A second life beyond the vehicle

Since 2022, MAN has therefore been driving this topic forward together with partners from industry and academia as part of the ReVAMP funded research project. The focus is on assessing the condition of used batteries, developing a digital twin, and automating the dismantling of battery systems. One tangible result is a demonstrator unit, which has been built and is being trialled in Nuremberg. The facility makes it possible to test automated dismantling processes under real-world conditions and to gain important insights for further development. At the Hannover Messe (HMI) in April, cooperation partner IBG presented the prototype system developed jointly with MAN and demonstrated the automated dismantling and module removal process.

The findings from ReVAMP are intended to pave the way for the next step: the industrialisation of battery refurbishment. MAN wants to continue driving battery refurbishment forward – from automated refurbishment processes to second-life applications and recycling. Relevant planning is under way, though concrete next steps have yet to be confirmed. At the end of a long battery life comes the recovery of raw materials: from 2031, the EU Battery Regulation will require materials such as lithium, nickel and cobalt to be recovered.

Transformation also has a human face

This transformation is visible in Nuremberg on two levels: in the battery, which is given a second life – and in the people who find new opportunities amid the change. The shift from conventional drivetrain technologies to battery manufacturing is also profoundly changing working environments: job profiles are shifting, and new qualifications are required.  

The story of Ugur Evyapan shows how this transition can succeed. After the foundry closed in 2023, he faced the prospect of a fresh start. Today, he works in battery production. "At the start, it was sad, of course, because you don't know anything else. You started out at the foundry and worked there for 15 years. But you have to keep developing." What mattered most to him was knowing he wouldn't have to manage the change alone: "I also had the feeling that we weren't just left to fend for ourselves – that's why we never really had job worries. Everyone found a place somewhere, if they wanted to."

Ugur Evyapan's journey is representative of many employees who have been given new prospects through targeted training and support. For Hubert Altschäffl, Human Resources and Labour Director at MAN Truck & Bus SE, this sense of togetherness is precisely the key: "In the end, it's about working together, not against each other. Even when the economic situation becomes more difficult at times, we pull together closely and find a solution as a team."