At the 67th IAA Commercial Vehicles in Hanover, Paul Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH presents a representative cross section through its broadly based range of truck chassis modifications which fulfill the highest quality standards and OEM specifications. The exhibition stand N 98 of the special-purpose vehicle manufacturer from Vilshofen on the Danube is located at the open-air area of the Hanover exhibition grounds in the 4th alley directly adjacent to the halls 14/15. The reception and catering area for guests and visitors was completely redesigned. There, talks with the experts of the Paul Group can be held in an attractive ambience and with numerous modern presentation options.
Directly opposite at the M 95 open-air area exhibition stand E-Vade GmbH, founded in 2017 and acting as the new electric mobility provider within the Paul Group, exhibits a comprehensive range of future-oriented electrified vehicle solutions for municipal applications or use by craftsmen and inner-city distribution and delivery transport services. Customer-specific requests regarding bodies, superstructures and conversions are carried out from a single source at Paul Nutzfahrzeuge. At Paul Nutzfahrzeuge’s N 98 exhibition stand a Mercedes-Benz Vario with an electric drive from the retrofit sector of E-Vade is on display.
The new Digital Vehicle Scan from DVS GmbH & Co. KG, another path-breaking product from the Paul Group, is also displayed at the stand of Paul Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH. It allows for the digital all-round inspection of the vehicle condition within 20 seconds.
High manoeuvrability combined with high load capacity:
Paul Nutzfahrzeuge puts steered trailing axles in the focus
Increase of the load capacity combined with maximum manoeuvrability at the same time: in Hanover, exemplary vehicle combinations with steered trailing axles from the conversion sector of Paul Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH will be on display. The vehicles come from different branches of business for whom Paul Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH manufactures custom-made special configurations for highly specialized applications.
At the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2018 the new Mercedes-Benz Atego 2130 F 6×2 fire brigade aerial rescue vehicle is shown. Through the installation of a steered 5-tonne trailing axle Paul Nutzfahrzeuge has implemented a narrow and manoeuvrable chassis for applications in fire brigades, municipalities and distribution transport services. It offers an increased load capacity for bodies and superstructures. At the same time it is outstandingly manoeuvrable even on narrow streets and under cramped conditions due to its compact dimensions. The increase of the gross vehicle weight by five tonnes allows for the installation of heavy fire brigade special superstructures while at the same time the compact dimensions and the manoeuvrability of the Atego are maintained. The fire brigade specific equipment which consists of a turntable ladder with a working height of 32 metres and a tilting platform arm comes from the aerial appliance and rescue vehicle specialist Rosenbauer Karlsruhe GmbH & Co. KG. However, the three-axle Atego 2130 F 6×2 is also optimally suited for numerous other fields of application, for example in distribution transport, in municipal refuse disposal operations or in airport catering services.
The second exhibition vehicle on display in Hanover is the new all-wheel drive 35-tonne short-nose truck Mercedes-Benz Zetros 3543 8×8. This four-axle vehicle is an exhibit which is extremely manoeuvrable through the steerability and the propulsion of the newly installed trailing axle. As regards handling it can be operated as easy as a three-axle truck. Through the increased load capacity and body mounting volume the Zetros 3543 8×8 offers sufficient space and load for carrying high-volume and heavy-weight bodies and superstructures. Furthermore the vehicle is perfectly adapted to heavy-duty applications under extreme topographic and climatic conditions. The four driven axles with differential locks, together with the two steered axles (front axle and trailing axle) increase both traction and manoeuvrability. Altogether they ensure safely getting through even under the most adverse operating conditions in desert areas.
E-Vade GmbH: electric mobility is the sustainable path into the future
E-Vade GmbH is the electric mobility provider within the Paul Group. At the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2018 E-Vade is present with an own exhibition area: at its open-air exhibition stand M 95 the company exhibits a Work L electric van from StreetScooter featuring a platform and a PC 900 Palfinger crane superstructure. The vehicle is above all predestined for municipal as well as commercial applications as a regionally operating workshop service vehicle or applications in sewer cleaning. The second exhibition vehicle presented by E-Vade is the Orion E electric bus from Mellor. Additionally, E-Vade presents the first prototype of an electrically driven municipal trike, provided as a mobile unit for municipal cleaning jobs in public parks, zero-emission zones and pedestrian areas.
In the retrofit sector E-Vade gives older existing vehicles driven by diesel engines a new life with an environmentally friendly electric drive. The retrofitting as well as other individual body and conversion requests from customers are carried out from a single source at Paul Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH. At Paul Nutzfahrzeuge’s exhibition stand a Mercedes-Benz Vario is on display with a weight-neutral 100 kW electric drive from the retrofit sector of E-Vade. All components of the electric drive are incorporated in the new axle which was developed by the BPW Bergische Achsen KG and is supplied by them. The removal of the diesel driveline, the complete overhaul of the vehicle and the installation of the electric axle is carried out by Paul Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH on behalf of E-Vade.
Digital Vehicle Scan: digital 360° inspection of the vehicle condition
For the first time at the open-air area exhibition stand N 98 of Paul Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH a full-scale model of the Digital Vehicle Scan (DVS) can be seen. The DVS system which was developed within the Paul Group facilitates and accelerates the fleet and vehicle management in big vehicle fleets as well as in rental pools and leasing fleets with frequently changing drivers. It is also perfectly suited for use in workshops and dealerships. The system for the digital check and quick recording of the vehicle condition and the possibly necessary repair demand has been designed for all vehicle sizes from compact cars through trucks up to double-deck coaches. Damages are immediately recognized, since the detailed inspection takes only approximately 20 seconds.
The complete documentation of the vehicle condition allows the damage occurrence to be tracked, temporally defined and referred to the originator. This opens for example new possibilities for a fully automated vehicle acceptance and vehicle return process. Marketing and sales of the DVS system occur through DVS GmbH & Co. KG. The newly founded company within the Paul Group will take over the responsible role in all future DVS projects. Their services range from individual project planning and technical implementation to the turnkey handover and putting into operation at the customer’s premises. Attractive purchase or hire-purchase rates complement the portfolio which also includes further development of the software in the future.
The five companies of the Paul Group
More than 200 years ago the Paul company group emerged from a blacksmith’s shop. Up to the present day, it combines tradition with state-of-the-art expertise and know-how. The Paul Group comprises the Paul Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH (special-purpose commercial vehicle manufacturing), the E-Vade GmbH (electric mobility), the Insisto GmbH (IT services), the DVS GmbH & Co. KG (Digital Vehicle Scan system) and the Josef Paul GmbH & Co. KG which is the operator of the biggest commercial vehicle service centers in the greater Passau/Vilshofen area.
Paul Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH: path-breaking special-purpose commercial vehicle manufacuring
Paul Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH is ranking among the European market leaders in the sector of special-purpose commercial vehicle construction. Paul Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH − Special Trucks & Chassis is divided into three business areas: conversion, body and superstructure manufacturing and new construction of specific commercial vehicle configurations for special fields of application and challenging, frequently extraordinary customer requests.
Josef Paul GmbH & Co. KG: biggest commercial vehicle service centers of the region
Headquartered at the industrial park of Passau-Sperrwies, Josef Paul GmbH & Co. KG with its two large commercial vehicle service centers is the competent multi-brand partner for trucks, vans, buses and coaches around the towns of Passau and Vilshofen. It offers a comprehensive range of workshop services for commercial vehicles from the Mercedes- Benz, Setra and MAN brands which are carried out with state-of-the-art workshop facilities and test benches, in certified manufacturer quality and corresponding to the optimum standards required.
The core brand in the biggest commercial vehicle service center of the region – built in 2006 in the industrial park of Passau-Sperrwies – is Mercedes-Benz. Josef Paul GmbH & Co. KG has the status of an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership and service center. At the Passau-based service center occur the sales of both new and used commercial vehicles as well as, since 2013, also the sales of used Mercedes-Benz passenger cars. As an authorized service partner for Mercedes-Benz passenger cars, Josef Paul GmbH & Co. KG is able to offer its customers an all-round service package for passenger cars of the brand with the three-pointed Mercedes star.
Josef Paul GmbH & Co. KG also operates a second service center at Vilshofen on the Danube where the company is an authorized service partner for all MAN commercial vehicles coming from the MAN Truck & Bus division. Another focal point of the Josef Paul GmbH & Co. KG at Vilshofen is craning, crane overhaul and crane repair. In the crane sector the Josef Paul GmbH & Co. KG is among other things approved service partner of the Palfinger AG.
E-Vade GmbH: electric mobility of the future
E-Vade GmbH takes care of the mobility of the future. In order to be up to the future demands of electric mobility it pools the competences and experiences from service, sales and special-purpose commercial vehicle manufacturing at the Passau site. Through exclusive sales partnerships E-Vade offers a portfolio of electrically driven commercial vehicles, electric municipal trikes, pedelecs and electric cars in combination with the corresponding services. The electric mobility portfolio also includes retrofit solutions.
DVS GmbH & Co. KG: vehicle check with Digital Vehicle Scan (DVS)
DVS GmbH & Co. KG supervises the development, production, marketing and sales activities regarding the Digital Vehicle Scan (DVS). The company also takes on the project planning, implementation and supervision of all DVS projects including the associated special software packages.
Insisto GmbH: IT service provider for innovative software solutions
With Insisto GmbH the Paul Group has embarked on the path into the digital future. The IT service provider, located at Passau, offers customized software solutions and customer- specific web development according to the latest standards such as HTML5 or CSS3. Insisto serves all corporate divisions of the Paul Group but is also working cross-industry for a growing number of external companies.
Paul Group: facts and figures
At present, a total of approximately 470 employees are working for the five companies of the Paul Group at the Passau, Passau-Sperrwies, Vilshofen on the Danube and Vilshofen- Albersdorf sites. About 180 of the Paul Group’s employees work in the vehicle construction, service and sales departments of Paul Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH. In addition there are another around 290 employees who are working in the other companies and business areas of the Paul Group. The managing directors of the five companies within the Paul Group are Walter Pötzinger (Paul Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH, Josef Paul GmbH & Co. KG, E-Vade GmbH), Bernhard Wasner (Josef Paul GmbH & Co. KG, E-Vade GmbH, DVS GmbH & Co. KG) and Alexander Luksch (Insisto GmbH). Josef Paul, owner of the Paul Group, is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of all companies within the Paul Group.
