VW moves to align MAN, Scania

In its next measure to unlock greater efficiencies from its ownership of both the MAN and Scania truck brands, parent company Volkswagen AG has created a holding company for the two marques, which will be now pooled into the group's Truck & Bus GmbH subsidiary along with its own commercial vehicles arm.

It's VW's latest move to unlock synergies across its commercial vehicle operations, as it strives towards its objective of becoming a European trucking behemoth to rival Daimler Truck & Bus, Volvo Group, and PACCAR.

Volkswagen reached a major milestone on that journey in May last year when Scania shareholders finally accepted its Euro 6.7 million bid to acquire full control of the Swedish trucking heavyweight, the company complementing its existing MAN SE (which owns MAN Truck & Bus) and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles operations.

In a recent media statement the head of Volkswagen's Commercial Vehicles division, Andreas Renschler (pictured) – himself a former Daimler executive – said the inclusion of the MAN and Scania brands within the holding company was an important step in unlocking further cost savings.

"Bringing together our commercial vehicle brands under one roof means we can focus more strongly on the needs of the truck and bus business and can therefore accelerate the decision-making process," he said in the statement.

Volkswagen has significant structural hurdles to overcome in successfully integrating MAN, Scania, and its own commercial vehicle operations, with the creation of the holding company just an early step on a long journey.

Last September Volkswagen announced that MAN and Scania had begun collaborating on advanced new gearbox technology, while stressing that the two companies would – for all their newfound co-operation – ultimately retain their unique identities.

At the time Volkswagen said it hoped to achieve savings of up to Euro 650 million ($A917 million) from having MAN and Scania under the one umbrella, although it admitted it may take as long as one decade to realise that result.