The MAN plant in Munich is celebrating its 70th anniversary. To mark the anniversary, around 8,000 employees and their families are invited to a big celebration on the factory premises on June 28, 2025. A total of around 20,000 guests from the company are expected to attend. A Ferris wheel, beer tent, and many other attractions will create an Oktoberfest atmosphere – in the middle of summer.
MAN CEO Alexander Vlaskamp said: “We can all be proud of the history of this location. The development and series production of our eTruck ‘made in Munich’ is the latest proof of the plant’s innovative strength and versatility, as well as a historic milestone for MAN and the location. Together, we have always found the right solutions to every challenge and successfully combined history and modernity. This powerful tradition also provides a solid foundation on which to build the future.”
Oktoberfest at MAN
A giant Ferris wheel around 40 meters high is being built at the plant especially for the celebrations, with space for 200 passengers – including panoramic views of the plant, Munich, and the Alps. The Ferris wheel is owned by the Landwermann family of showmen. Appropriately, they drive exclusively MAN trucks. For “reasons of quality and tradition.” And good logistics are also needed to deliver the 2,500 tons of material for the Ferris wheel.
O’zapft is – beer comes electrically and by horse-drawn carriage
No traditional folk festival would be complete without beer. This comes from the Paulaner Brewery in Munich. Paulaner also delivers the beer in MAN trucks. And even in fully electric trucks – because Paulaner purchased two of the fully electric trucks immediately after series production started at the MAN plant in Munich. And, as is fitting, in addition to the eTruck, a horse-drawn carriage also delivers beer kegs to the plant. That’s how tradition and modernity go hand in hand. And then it’s time to say: O’zapft is!
There is also a huge supporting program: There is something for everyone, especially kids – from a bouncy castle to the opportunity to design their own MAN vehicle of the future at the interactive AI stand. There are also lots of historical stalls, carousels, a swing boat, a brass band from Karlsfeld, a future workshop, and a look at the mobility of the future. In addition: Forty historic vehicles, including the eTruck and the current team buses of FC Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 Munich.
1.25 million trucks built between the castle and the test track
Around 8,000 employees develop and produce heavy trucks and components at the site. Since 1955, 1.25 million trucks, two million cabs and three million axles have been manufactured here. The plant covers an area of around one million square meters – that’s about 140 soccer fields.
Since 1955, the hall space on the factory premises has been continuously expanded. In 2008, the two administration buildings on Dachauer Straße were built, followed later by the Truck Forum and the Bus Forum. These serve as exhibition and event space and for handing over vehicles to customers. From 2016, further buildings were added to the factory premises with the construction of the new paint shop and the state-of-the-art body shop, as well as the engineering and testing building.
The plant also has its own test track, a neo-Gothic castle, and its own combined heat and power plant for sustainable energy supply. MAN has also launched a geothermal project in Munich-Karlsfeld to heat its own production facilities and the municipality’s district heating network simultaneously from 2028. By 2030, MAN aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at its sites worldwide by 70 percent compared to 2019. At the end of 2024, the reduction was already almost 60 percent.
SOURCE: MAN Truck & Bus
