The study, conducted by the University of Bayreuth, Germany, and validated by an independent expert on behalf of DEKRA Assurance Services GmbH, compares the environmental impact of a newly manufactured MAN D2842 LE622 rail engine with those of a MAN Genuine Remanufactured Engine of the same type. The result: 8,320 kilograms of CO₂ equivalents were determined for the production and delivery of a newly manufactured engine. CO₂ equivalents summarize the climate impact of various greenhouse gases in a common parameter. The MAN Genuine Remanufactured Engine causes 2,355 kilograms of CO₂ equivalents within the same scope of investigation. This corresponds to a reduction of 5,965 kilograms of CO₂ equivalents or 72 percent.

In addition to greenhouse gas emissions, the study looks at other relevant influencing factors. This reduces the use of new materials by 80 percent compared to new production. The transport capacity of the components is reduced by 87 percent. The results make it clear that the reuse of suitable components in particular can make a significant contribution to reducing material and logistics costs.

Combustion engines will continue to be needed in certain applications in the future. This is particularly true where high performance is required in a tight installation space, machines and vehicles remain in use for a long time and there are currently no suitable alternative drives. Examples of this are railway applications, especially dual-mode operation, commercial shipping and power generation. In such applications, extending product life cycles can help reduce emissions generated during the manufacture of new products.

The investigation is not limited to the comparison of a new engine with an engine that has been remanufactured once. In addition, scenarios over several life cycles were considered. If a new engine is remanufactured and reused once after its first phase of use, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by 33 percent compared to a scenario with two new engines. In the case of further remanufacturing, the reduction increases to 45 percent compared to a scenario with three new engines. At the same time, the use of materials and transport costs continue to decrease.

"The results show the enormous potential of extending product life cycles," says Josef Lukaschtik, Head of Remanufacturing at MAN Truck & Bus. "For applications in which combustion engines are still needed, MAN Genuine Remanufacturing can be a way to use existing resources for longer and reduce production-related environmental impacts."

The study also provides scientifically sound evidence of the importance of remanufacturing within MAN's service and existing business. In addition to MAN Genuine Remanufactured Engines, the portfolio also includes remanufactured components and parts from the "MAN Genuine Parts ecoline" product line. "Remanufactured components help to keep resources in the cycle for longer and offer customers cost-effective solutions with high availability," says Vanessa Reinarz, Head of Product Management Genuine Parts at MAN Truck & Bus. In this way, MAN supports customers throughout the entire life cycle of their products – from the supply of spare parts to the professional reconditioning of complete drive systems.

The life cycle analysis was carried out in accordance with DIN EN ISO 14040 and DIN EN ISO 14044. The relevant stages of the life path within the defined system boundaries were considered. The results presented relate exclusively to the MAN D2842 LE622 examined and the framework conditions described in the study.

Further information on the methodology, the scope of the study and the results of the study can be found on the landing page https://go.man/lcad2842

Anticipation for the new season and more titles is running high as FC Bayern Munich kicks off the 2026–2027 season at the end of August. The team, led by head coach Vincent Kompany, is welcoming a special new addition: MAN Truck & Bus has delivered a new MAN Lion’s Coach L to the German record champions. Featuring the eye-catching FC Bayern red and a large club logo, the bus will become an unmistakable companion for the team on their travels throughout Germany and Europe. This makes the bus not only a real head-turner but, above all, an important retreat for the team before and after games.

“We are very pleased to continue our long-standing partnership with FC Bayern Munich and to continue accompanying the team safely and comfortably to their matches with a MAN Lion’s Coach,” says Michael Kobriger, Executive Board Member for Production and Logistics at MAN Truck & Bus, adding: “The bus combines state-of-the-art technology, the highest level of comfort, and an unmistakable design – making it a worthy companion for the German record champions.”

The handover took place at the FCB club grounds on Säbener Straße and marks another milestone in the long-standing collaboration between MAN and FC Bayern Munich.

Rouven Kasper, FC Bayern’s Board Member for Marketing & Sales: “The long-standing partnership between FC Bayern and MAN demonstrates how top-level football and cutting-edge technology go hand in hand. The new MAN team bus, specially tailored to our team’s needs, reflects our commitment to the highest level of professionalism in every detail. The innovative features we’ve developed together show how we’re shaping progress side by side. Wherever FC Bayern stops on its travels, the distinctive design makes it clear at first glance who is visiting.”

Powerful drive train and state-of-the-art driver’s cabin

The new MAN Lion’s Coach L combines impressive travel comfort with innovative safety and vehicle technology. The 13.9-meter-long three-axle coach is powered by the efficient yet powerful D2676 LOH 6-cylinder diesel engine, which delivers 382 kW (520 PS) and meets the Euro 6e emissions standard. The driver’s digital cockpit meets the highest ergonomic standards, features a clear layout, and is intuitive to operate. This ensures outstanding comfort and excellent visibility on long trips to away games throughout Europe.

A retreat and place of comfort for the entire team

Players, coaches, and support staff also travel in utmost comfort. The interior was custom-designed by the experts at MAN Bus Modification exclusively to meet the team’s needs. In the rear, for example, a fully equipped kitchen with refrigerators, a sink, a fully automatic coffee machine, and ample space for preparing and storing meals ensures the team’s physical well-being. Four height-adjustable face-to-face tables provide space for discussions between coaches and players before and after games. The interior is complemented by spacious storage cabinets as well as table and leg rests.

Premium Wi-Fi, technical support for streaming services, three HD monitors, a high-performance sound system, LED ambient lighting, and a starlit ceiling inside the vehicle ensure relaxation and entertainment on longer trips.

Innovative driver assistance systems for maximum safety

In addition to comfort, safety was a key priority. As a result, the team bus is equipped with numerous innovative driver assistance and safety systems. These include, among others, the Electronic Stability Program (ESP), the lane departure warning system with haptic alerts, Lane Change Assist and Lane Keeping Assist, radar-based turn assist, a collision warning system with pedestrian detection, MAN SafeStop Assist, adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist, the MAN AttentionGuard, the enhanced Emergency Brake Assist (EBA Plus), and 360-degree bird view via six cameras.

Outlook: Fully electric team bus coming in the 26/27 season

The collaboration between the two Munich-based partners dates back to 2008 and continues to evolve. A key focus of this partnership is the goal of reducing mobility-related greenhouse gas emissions. Over the course of the upcoming season, FC Bayern’s existing fleet will therefore be expanded to include a fully electric MAN Lion’s Coach E. Following the successful world premiere of the electric coach, extensive testing and preparations for production are currently in full swing. MAN and FC Bayern Munich are also already working closely together on the necessary charging infrastructure: Together, the partners are establishing a public charging station for e-trucks and e-buses at the Allianz Arena. In doing so, they are laying the groundwork for reducing mobility-related greenhouse gas emissions (compared to trucks and buses with conventional powertrains) in professional sports and beyond, and sending a strong signal in support of future-oriented innovations.

“This order is further impressive proof of the MAN Lion’s City E’s strong market position in Europe. Vilnius is placing its trust in our proven technology, thereby sending a strong signal for the future of zero-emission public transport – far beyond Lithuania’s borders,” says Robert Katzer, Head of Sales & Product Bus at MAN Truck & Bus.

A significant step toward the mobility transition in Vilnius

The new electric buses will replace part of VVT’s existing diesel bus fleet and noticeably improve the quality of public transportation in the Lithuanian capital. Passengers will benefit from quieter, smoother, and more comfortable rides. Drivers can look forward to an innovative and ergonomic work environment. Depending on the model, the buses offer a range of up to 380 kilometers. On board, there are also modern air conditioning systems, passenger information systems, Wi-Fi, and charging options for mobile devices.

“We are consistently phasing out polluting vehicles and transitioning to cleaner, quieter, and more efficient solutions. The expansion of electric buses allows us not only to improve the quality of public transport but also to move steadily toward a climate-neutral city,” says Valdas Benkunskas, Mayor of Vilnius.

Ignas Degutis, CEO of VVT, highlights the historic nature of the project: “This is a project of exceptional scale and complexity, not only in Vilnius but across Lithuania. Today marks an important stage – the acquisition of electric buses. At the same time, we are implementing parallel developments, including charging infrastructure, power capacity, depot upgrades, and new operational models. This is a long-term transformation that will reshape not only the vehicle fleet but also the overall approach to public transport operations.”

Delivery from late 2026 through the end of 2027

In Lithuania, the buses will be delivered by ADAMPOLIS, MAN’s exclusive and long-standing local partner. ADAMPOLIS will also handle technical maintenance for a period of five years. The first vehicles are scheduled to arrive in Vilnius later this year. Delivery of the remainder of the fleet is planned through late 2027. “Our goal is to ensure that every passenger feels welcome in public transport – that journeys are not only fast but also comfortable, safe, and pleasant. Electric buses reduce pollution and noise while providing a smoother travel experience for both residents and visitors. Fleet renewal is an essential step in making public transport the most attractive mobility option in the city,” says Loreta Levulytė-Staškevičienė, Head of JUDU, the organization responsible for public transport services in Vilnius.

MAN Lion’s City E: An European Success Story

The order from Vilnius fits seamlessly into the impressive growth trajectory of the MAN Lion’s City E. Since its market launch in 2019, more than 3,300 vehicles have already been produced and delivered. In daily operation, these have collectively covered around 250 million kilometers, saving approximately 150,000 tons of CO₂ compared to conventional diesel buses. In the 2025 fiscal year alone, sales of MAN e-buses grew by 118 percent compared to the previous year – a new record with more than 1,300 vehicles sold. Today, roughly one in every two MAN city buses sold in Europe is electrically powered. To meet the steadily growing demand, MAN recently began series production of the Lion’s City E at its Ankara plant in Turkey – as the third global e-bus production site alongside Starachowice in Poland and Olifantsfontein in South Africa.

“With the launch of e-bus production in Ankara, we are setting a significant milestone on our path to electromobility,” says Barbaros Oktay, Head of Bus at MAN Truck & Bus, adding: “We are expanding our production capacities, strengthening our global bus network, and can meet rising customer demands even faster and more flexibly. Ankara will play a key role in our e-mobility strategy going forward.”

MAN transitions its production network to the electric era

The conversion of the Ankara plant is part of MAN’s comprehensive transformation toward becoming a provider of sustainable transport solutions. With the launch of the MAN Lion’s City E in 2020, the Starachowice site in Poland became the first MAN plant in the production network to be fully equipped for the large-scale production of electric vehicles. The Lion’s Explorer E has been built in Olifantsfontein for two years. Series production of the fully electric, heavy-duty MAN eTGS and eTGX trucks began at the Munich plant in 2025. The production team in Krakow is also currently preparing intensively for the series production of the first electric trucks. Series production of the MAN eTGL light-duty truck will begin here in the coming months. MAN will unveil another electric model to round out its all-electric product portfolio in May at the Transpotec trade show in Milan. This truck will also be produced in Krakow in the future. Finally, with the establishment of MAN’s own battery production, the Nuremberg plant has evolved from a pure engine manufacturing site into a development and production site for both state-of-the-art diesel engines and alternative drive concepts.

Ankara as a key component of the e-strategy

In recent years, the infrastructure in Ankara has been modernized, production processes optimized, and the workforce specifically trained to meet the demands of electric mobility. “Through these steps and the investments we’ve made, we are laying the groundwork to offer high-volume, high-quality, zero-emission mobility solutions in the long term,” says Oktay. In the future, in addition to the Lion’s City E, electric intercity buses and the new Lion’s Coach E for tourist travel in Turkey will also be manufactured there. “Our goal is for Ankara, just like Starachowice, to play a key role in the e-mobility transformation of MAN’s bus business,” Oktay continues.

“Ankara is developing into one of MAN’s central e-mobility hubs. Thanks to our flexible production structure, we can manufacture both various electric bus models and conventionally powered buses on the same production line. This enables us to respond efficiently to different market requirements,” emphasizes Mehmet Şermet, Head of Production Bus at MAN Truck & Bus.

The MAN Lion’s City E: a success story

Since its market launch in 2019, the MAN Lion’s City E has become a success story in Europe and is now in service in numerous European cities. A total of around 3,300 vehicles have already been produced and delivered to customers. In daily operation, these vehicles have collectively covered approximately 250 million kilometers, saving around 150,000 tons of CO₂ compared to conventional diesel buses thanks to their locally emission-free operation. The increase in sales figures impressively underscores this dynamic development. In the 2025 fiscal year, electric mobility gained significantly in importance at MAN. Sales of fully electric trucks and buses rose by 168 percent to a total of 1,970 units. The MAN Lion’s City E alone achieved 118 percent growth compared to the previous year, with more than 1,300 e-buses sold in total. This marks a new record for MAN. In Europe, roughly one in every two city buses sold by MAN is now electrically powered.

In addition to the reliability, range, and sustainability of the Lion’s City E, this success is also based on the broad portfolio of zero-emission buses, which is being continuously expanded. It includes compact 10-meter vehicles, classic 12-meter solo buses, 18-meter articulated buses for high passenger volumes, and electric low-entry variants for intercity use. The Lion’s Chassis E also enables the company to serve markets outside Europe. The fully electric MAN Lion’s Coach E also marks the beginning of a new era of zero-emission travel – the first vehicles are scheduled to be delivered to customers by the end of the year. With this diverse range of models, MAN covers all relevant application scenarios and makes a decisive contribution to sustainable mobility in cities, regions, and, in the future, long-distance transport – all over the world.

Already today, every third bus in service in Vorarlberg is an e-bus. This means that the federal state currently has the largest e-bus fleet in Austria. A total of around 100 e-buses are currently in regular service, more than half of which are operated by ÖBB Postbus. The e-bus fleet is set to grow to 141 vehicles by spring. The clear goal is to increase this number to 200 e-buses by 2030. “We will therefore continue to contribute to environmentally friendly regional transport with our innovative MAN electric buses in the future,” says Rudi Kuchta, emphasizing: “MAN is the market leader in the field of e-buses in Austria with a market share of over 50 percent – not least thanks to the great trust that ÖBB Postbus places in us.” MAN delivered a total of 112 e-buses in Austria last year.

Safe, reliable, and comfortable mobility with MAN e-buses

MAN has delivered a total of 27 Lion’s City 12 E and 36 Lion’s City 18 E buses as part of the current order from ÖBB Postbus. While the 12-meter version offers a balanced combination of space, ride comfort, and agility, the 18-meter version is ideal for busy routes with high passenger volumes. Powerful electric motors and six or eight battery packs ensure quiet rides and long ranges of up to 350 kilometers. Comfort is guaranteed by efficient air conditioning systems with integrated heat pumps and comfortable seats. The 12-meter e-buses offer passengers 30 seats and standing room for 61, while the 18-meter e-buses offer 42 seats and standing room for 113. The barrier-free low-floor vehicles are also equipped with the latest swivel-sliding door technology, which enables high efficiency and fast passenger exchange. Numerous innovative assistance systems such as turn assist, break assist, emergency brake assist, and the driver's cab with full windshield ensure a safe journey for passengers, drivers, and other road users.

Largest charging hub for e-buses in Austria

The central basis for operation is a powerful charging infrastructure with a total of 144 charging points throughout Vorarlberg. The Postbus locations in Wolfurt, Bludenz, and Feldkirch alone have 75 of these charging points, which are installed and operated by illwerke vkw. The ÖBB Postbus garage in Wolfurt has been extensively prepared for the arrival of the new electric buses in recent months. This means that it is not only state-of-the-art in technical terms, but also the largest charging hub for e-buses in the whole of Austria.

“The new framework agreement with Deutsche Bahn is a historic contract for buses and an outstanding vote of confidence in our products and our team,” says Alexander Vlaskamp, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus. “The fact that a significant proportion of the vehicles will be fully electric impressively underscores the contribution that Deutsche Bahn and MAN are making to the sustainable transformation of public transport.”

The partnership between the two companies has been in place since 2010 and is one of the most successful collaborations in the global bus market. Over the past 15 years, almost 5,000 MAN buses have been delivered to Deutsche Bahn, which are now reliably operating in urban and interurban transport. With the new framework agreement, which significantly expands the cooperation, Deutsche Bahn can now choose from a wide range of vehicles. The buses will be used by the regional transport subsidiary DB Regio AG throughout Germany.

Harmen van Zijderveld, Member of the DB Management Board for Regional Transport: "With the new buses, our passengers will continue to reach their destinations reliably, comfortably, and in an environmentally friendly manner. The long-term contracts guarantee that we will always have modern vehicles and can continue to develop them in close cooperation with the manufacturers. The fact that the vast majority of the buses come from a Munich-based manufacturer is good news for Germany as an industrial location."

Dennis Affeld, Managing Director of MAN Truck & Bus Germany: "With this framework agreement, Deutsche Bahn is receiving an extremely flexible overall package of efficient diesel vehicles, hybrid models, and fully electric buses. We offer the right technology for every route requirement and at the same time contribute to making the climate targets for the coming years achievable."

Efficient diesel vehicles, innovative hybrid models, sustainable eBuses

MAN Lion’s Intercity LE vehicles in three different lengths are to be delivered for intercity transport. The low-entry model combines high ride comfort with efficient fuel consumption and impresses with its modern design and practical flexibility.

For urban transport, the focus is on the versatile MAN Lion's City family with efficient drive technology. Deutsche Bahn can choose from a wide range of low-floor buses with conventional diesel or CNG drives. The MAN EfficientHybrid system additionally supports economical operation and contributes to low life cycle costs.

A particular focus is on the fully electric and award-winning MAN Lion’s City E series. A significant proportion of the vehicles to be delivered are sustainable city buses with battery-electric drive – available in 10-, 12- or 18-meter versions. The compact 10-meter buses are ideal for narrow inner-city areas, while the 12-meter version offers a balanced combination of space, ride comfort, and agility. The 18-meter variant is ideal for busy routes with high passenger volumes. With powerful electric motors and batteries manufactured in-house, quiet operation, and high passenger capacity, MAN e-buses are setting new standards for urban electric mobility.

With the framework agreement covering the period from 2027 to 2032, MAN Truck & Bus and Deutsche Bahn are strengthening their long-standing, trusting cooperation and jointly sending a clear signal for sustainable, efficient, and future-oriented mobility in public passenger transport.

“This order is an important step on our journey to make urban transport around the world even cleaner, quieter, and safer. At the same time, it demonstrates the strategic importance of our international chassis business,” says Barbaros Oktay, Head of Bus at MAN Truck & Bus, adding: "We are delighted to be setting new standards for electric mobility on the African continent together with the Paruk Group."

The Lion's Explorer E vehicles ordered are based on the Lion's Chassis E, which was developed specifically for international markets. Unlike in Europe, where MAN produces and sells complete buses, the focus in the global market is on chassis that are completed in the respective countries by certified body manufacturers. With the Lion's Explorer E, MAN is producing both the chassis and the body in South Africa.

Production of the eBuses will be carried out locally

All 100 vehicles will be manufactured entirely on site: the chassis at the MAN plant in Pinetown and the bodies at the Olifantsfontein plant. With local production, MAN is strengthening industrial value creation in the region and contributing to the development of green bus production there. The Lion's Explorer E, with a length of 12 meters, is designed as a high-floor vehicle with steps for entry. The four battery packs, each with a capacity of 80 kWh, are located between the axles under the floor. Delivery of the fleet will begin in 2026 and will be completed by the end of 2027.

“We operate one of the largest MAN bus fleets globally – a testament to over 30 years of trust, partnership, and shared vision. Our move from diesel to electric isn’t just a technological shift but a promise to our continued focus on sustainable transport solutions in the region. It is a bold step – but with MAN at our side, it feels like a natural evolution,” says Mohmed Paruk, owner of the Paruk Group, which operates primarily in South Africa. The company's fleet comprises around 2,000 buses, of which around 1,500 are MAN vehicles.

“We are proud to not only bring the first MAN eBuses on the African roads, but to be the first manufacturer, across both passenger and commercial vehicles, in the South African automotive industry to localize the production of an electric vehicle,” says Jan Aichinger, Managing Director of MAN Truck & Bus South Africa.

First MAN eBus delivered in Africa in 2023

MAN delivered the first fully electric bus for the African market in Cape Town in 2023. The Lion's Explorer E was adapted to local requirements and also manufactured locally. “Thanks to manufacturing in South Africa, we can ensure that the eBuses perfectly meet the needs of transport companies and can also be integrated into existing processes in the best possible way,” says Oktay. “With the major order that has now been signed, we are convinced that electric mobility in South Africa will gain significant momentum.”

MAN Truck & Bus is the market leader in the bus business in South Africa. The goal is to achieve this position in the electric bus market as well. “We are doing everything we can to ensure that the new eBus is as well received in South Africa as our Lion's City E is in Europe, with around 3,000 units already delivered,” says Oktay.

The Sby Award has now been presented for the eighth time. As in previous years, the jury recognized only the most innovative and sustainable buses on the European market. “In the past two years, we won the award in the intercity and city bus categories with our MAN Lion’s City 12 E LE and Lion’s City 10 E. This year, our MAN Lion’s Coach E convinced the jury and prevailed over the competition,” explained Heinz Kiess, Head of Product Marketing Bus, adding: “This underscores our leading position in the eBus sector – and we’re very pleased about that.”

The Sby Award is the only European accolade that honors innovative and sustainable technologies shaping the future of mobility. It is awarded by a jury of specialist journalists from ten European countries. They presented the award to the MAN Lion’s Coach E because the eCoach sets technological standards for sustainable long-distance travel. The coach features a fully electric drivetrain with a continuous output of 330 kW and a usable battery capacity of up to 480 kWh, enabling fast charging and a range of up to 650 kilometers – ideal for tourism. The MAN Lion’s Coach E also excels in safety, equipped with an advanced driver assistance package including Emergency Brake Assist EBA Plus with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control ACC with Stop & Go function, lane-keeping assist, the OptiView mirror replacement system, and the innovative MAN Safe StopAssist. These technologies ensure compliance with the latest active and passive safety standards. In terms of comfort, the vehicle offers numerous options and solutions for a customizable and barrier-free interior. The jury particularly emphasized the sustainability aspect: the model achieves a recycling rate of over 95% of its components, is manufactured in facilities certified to international environmental standards, and features responsible battery lifecycle management.

“That our eCoach received such a prestigious bus award at its world premiere is a tremendous success. Behind it is a dedicated team passionately committed to sustainable and innovative solutions,” concluded Oktay, adding: “Our goal is for all our eBuses to impress every day – with range, reliability, comfort, and environmental friendliness that excite drivers, passengers, and operators alike.”

Overview of press releases in the press kit:

1. Exhibition overview: MAN at Busworld Europe 2025
2. Sustainable travel: MAN's first fully electric coach
3. More flexible, more efficient, safer: MAN eBuses to feature new batteries from in-house production from 2025
4. Economical and safe on intercity routes: MAN Lion’s Intercity now with EfficientHybrid drive
5. Safer and more comfortable: New MAN minibuses based on TGE Next Level
6. Brand flagship NEOPLAN Skyliner debuts at Busworld as a state-of-the-art ‘Auwärter Edition’
7. For greater safety: Intelligent support and protection for drivers and passengers

Valencia's sustainable transformation gathers pace

MAN has secured the largest share of one of the most extensive public orders for electric and hybrid buses in Spain this year. The order is part of a large-scale investment plan by the city of Valencia to modernize its bus fleet and reduce local emissions. "The aim is to make public transport in the metropolis as sustainable as possible. This is also possible thanks to our city buses, which stand for efficiency, reliability and environmental friendliness," says Katzer. "EMT's decision shows their confidence in our products and our technological expertise. We are delighted to be working with Valencia to make an important contribution to the transport revolution in one of Spain's largest cities."

With the tender for a total of 161 buses, Valencia is systematically driving forward the renewal of its fleet. The fleet conversion is part of a comprehensive investment program with a total volume of around 170 million euros, which provides for the introduction of 218 new electric and hybrid buses by 2028. The aim is to significantly reduce the average age of the fleet and reduce the proportion of diesel buses to below 7 percent by 2027. The new MAN vehicles - the Lion's City E with a length of 12 meters and the Lion's City EfficientHybrid with a length of 18 meters for maximum capacity requirements - will be delivered and put into operation in stages from the end of 2026.

Electrifying: MAN is pursuing a clear zero-emission strategy

The order from Valencia once again underlines MAN's leading role in sustainable mobility. The company is pursuing a clear zero-emission strategy and the MAN Lion's City E family has already been in successful operation for six years - with over 2,500 vehicles in Europe that have already covered more than 100 million kilometers. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, sales amounted to 283 eBuses. This corresponds to more than 50 percent of the city buses sold by MAN in Europe.

Overview of press releases in the press kit:

1. UITP Summit 2025: MAN Lion’s City E with new battery generation celebrates world premiere
2. More flexible, more efficient, safer: MAN eBuses with new batteries from in-house production from 2025 onwards
3. Automation: MAN is working consistently on driverless buses

MAN Truck & Bus and Austrian vehicle transport and logistics specialist Gartner KG are strengthening their long-standing collaboration with a new framework agreement. This covers the delivery of up to 1,200 MAN standard and high-volume semitrailer tractors by the end of 2028, with the first of these rolling into the Gartner fleet from summer 2025. The agreement provides for the delivery of up to 350 vehicles per year. With the new MAN PowerLion drivetrain, the MAN TGXs are particularly fuel-efficient and low in CO₂emissions. On individual routes in Germany, Gartner is also already using the MAN eTGX battery-electric and therefore locally CO₂-free drive.         

"Our customer Gartner has been relying on MAN trucks for over 50 years. It is a great honor for us to continue and consolidate this proven partnership with this new agreement. The new framework agreement is also confirmation for us that MAN products meet the high demands that Gartner places on its vehicle fleet. We are very pleased to continue our cooperation," says Friedrich Baumann, Executive Board Member for Sales & Customer Solutions at MAN Truck & Bus SE.

"This decades-long partnership with MAN is characterized by mutual trust, a high level of innovation in the vehicle product range and a constant focus on profitability. We look forward to continuing this partnership over the coming decades," emphasizes Richard Gartner, CEO of Gartner Transport Holding.

The partnership between MAN and the family-run company Gartner KG is not limited to vehicle sales or customer service management. Gartner is also an important supplier that uses its wide-ranging logistics expertise to transport vehicles for MAN and provides numerous logistics and forwarding services. Over 80 percent of the Gartner KG fleet consists of MAN vehicles. The large number of vehicles that Gartner has acquired from MAN Austria in recent years is proof of the trusting cooperation: between 2018 and April 2025, MAN delivered a total of over 2,300 vehicles to Gartner.

MAN PowerLion: economical and environmentally friendly powerhouse

The new vehicles for Gartner will be equipped with the PowerLion driveline, which MAN presented at the IAA 2024. Its powerful heart is the new MAN D30 engine. Developed with the combined expertise of the TRATON GROUP, the 13-liter in-line six-cylinder engine offers unprecedented efficiency in the commercial vehicle world with its efficiency of over 50 percent. In combination with the MAN TipMatic 14 gearbox, which is also new and particularly easy to shift, and further improved aerodynamics, MAN TGX semitrailer tractors from model year 2025 offer further fuel and CO₂savings of around five percent compared to the already very economical previous model year with the D26 engine. With a wide range of power outputs from 380 to 560 hp (2,100 to 2,800 Nm), the MAN D30 powerfully covers all operational requirements - especially for Gartner's diverse transport tasks.

About Gartner

Gartner was founded in 1918 by Peter Gartner and is now one of the largest transport companies in Austria. The company's headquarters are located in Lambach. The Gartner Group is now represented at 22 locations in eight European countries and employs a total of 3,880 people. In the last financial year, Gartner achieved a consolidated annual turnover of around 716 million euros.

Five logistics centers in Austria, Germany, Hungary and Romania form the basis for a nationwide transport and logistics service.

MAN eCoach follows consistent zero-emission strategy

To take account of environmental and climate protection, MAN is working with its customers to promote sustainable mobility. The company is pursuing a clear zero-emission strategy and has already been successfully on the road for six years with the Lion's City E family for urban and interurban areas. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, sales amounted to a total of 283 electric buses, which corresponds to more than 50 percent of the city buses sold by MAN in Europe. Consequently, MAN is also focusing on the electrification of coach transport. The MAN Lion's Coach E meets both social requirements for climate protection and customer wishes for sustainable travel.

Series production is scheduled to start in 2026 at MAN's Turkish plant in Ankara, which has been successively converted to eMobility in recent months. “The realignment at the site in Ankara is an important part of MAN's transformation into a provider of sustainable transport solutions,” emphasizes Oktay. In the run-up to series production of the eCoach, an “early fleet” is to go to selected pioneering customers in the European core markets next year.

Wide range of applications: from shuttle services to city trips

In the first stage of the development of the vehicle and public charging infrastructure, the preferred areas of application for the MAN Lion's Coach E will be short and medium distances with a range of up to 650 kilometers. This includes shuttle services, works transport and city trips. “The eCoach is also a real opportunity for coach tourism to reach new target groups for whom sustainability is also a key factor in travel planning,” says Heinz Kiess, Head of Product Marketing Bus. In particular, because with a CCS charging capacity of up to 375 kW in conjunction with the driver's statutory driving and rest periods, a similar usage profile to a diesel bus is already possible today. With the megawatt charging infrastructure (Megawatt Charging System, MCS, up to 750 kW) already under development, the areas of application for electric coaches are also set to expand even further towards long-distance travel in the future.

Proven vehicle concept and dynamic design

The basis for the eCoach is the tried-and-tested Lion's Coach, which was unveiled in 2017. In the first step, the eCoach will hit the road as a 13.9 m long, compact three-axle vehicle with a maximum technically permissible gross weight of 27.3 tons. Up to 61 passengers can travel comfortably in it - with no restrictions on luggage volume from a minimum of 11 to a maximum of 13 cubic meters. Following the electric Lion's Coach 14 E three-axle coach, MAN will be rolling out further models in the coach segment step by step until the turn of the decade.

You can see at first glance that the MAN eCoach is an innovative vehicle. The pioneering “Smart Flow Design” sets new standards. The Lion's Coach E combines smart design with optimum aerodynamic efficiency and innovative details. The aerodynamic precision work of the MAN design team reduces the drag coefficient (Cd value), which is important for coaches, from 0.34 to 0.31 - an impressive value that also has a positive effect on the range. But the “inner workings” of the coach are also ultra-modern. The innovative digital cockpit with intuitive MAN SmartSelect operating concept fits seamlessly into the Lion's Coach E. The absolute driver orientation and the extended assistance systems ensure greater comfort and safety.

"We are delighted that our MAN Lion's City 12 E LE won the readers' poll. The result proves that our bus impresses customers with its flexibility and comfort, but also with its performance and sustainability," says Darko Simeunovic, Head of Bus Sales at MAN Truck & Bus Germany. After all, the all-electric city bus is powered by a powerful central electric motor with a peak output of 240 kW. Thanks to MAN's modular battery concept, operators of city and intercity routes can flexibly adapt the number of battery packs to their needs in terms of charging time, number of passengers and range. They can choose between four to six battery packs with a capacity of up to 480 kWh.

The MAN Lion's City 12 E LE, which is based on the electric 12-metre solo bus, also demonstrates flexibility in terms of its areas of application. The model is designed so that it can be used in both urban and interurban transport. With the floor landscape adapted to customer feedback, it ensures a particularly high level of seating comfort. The bus has 41 passenger seats plus a special area for wheelchairs and baby carriages as well as an engine tower-free rear landscape in a low-entry design, making it ideal for suburban routes with Class 1 approval. The low-entry bus also marks MAN's all-electric entry into the growing intercity bus segment. Class 2 approval for use on intercity routes will soon be possible for the eBus, for which the stricter body rigidity requirements of UN ECE R 66.02 also apply.

The Lion's City 12 E LE celebrated its premiere at Busworld Europe in autumn 2023. "A year later, it received the ‘Sustainable Bus of the Year 2025’ award in the intercity bus category and now it has been awarded the ‘busplaner Innovation Award 2025’ - that's a great success for us. The awards show that our commitment to sustainability, innovative technologies and practical and adaptable solutions for the requirements of modern public transport in the city and also on the intercity market are being well received," says Heinz Kiess, Head of Product Marketing Bus at MAN Truck & Bus.

MAN Truck & Bus delivered the first MAN eTrucks to the Duvenbeck Group at the end of 2024. Since mid-February, MAN eTGX Lowliners have been transporting vehicle components from the Duvenbeck site in Herne to the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg in regular operation. ‘This means that the first BEV Lowliners with a loading height of three metres are running over a medium distance in our regional forwarding network for materials logistics and are proving their cost-effectiveness and suitability for everyday use,’ explains Simon Motter, Head of Volkswagen Group Logistics.

In Herne, consignments from individual suppliers are bundled into complete lorry loads and transported to the Wolfsburg plant, among others. In the initial phase, it is initially a MAN eTGX that will cover the 317-kilometre route - a total of 634 kilometres in a round trip. The truck is currently charging its batteries at public infrastructure along the route and at Duvenbeck's transhipment centre in Herne. The plan is to charge at the Duvenbeck Group's depot in Peine later this year, as soon as the charging infrastructure there is ready. The so-called trailer yard concept will then be implemented: Two eTrucks will take on the main run from Herne to Peine, where the trailers will be swapped. Another electric lorry will drive the final leg to Wolfsburg. The round trip distances will then be 520 and 110 kilometres respectively.

The use of MAN eTrucks is part of the goTOzero impact logistics programme, with which Volkswagen has embarked on the path to consistently climate-friendly logistics. In the long term, the use of electric trucks is the most important lever for reducing CO₂ emissions in road transport. The new MAN eTrucks are particularly suitable for this: ‘The MAN eTGX Ultra is the perfect zero-emission solution for automotive logistics. No other series-produced electric semitrailer tractor can pull trailers with an interior height of three metres. This makes it the ideal choice for transport operations with high volume requirements,’ says Friedrich Baumann, Board Member Sales & Customer Solutions Officer at MAN Truck & Bus. ‘We are delighted that Duvenbeck and Volkswagen are now successfully integrating this innovation into everyday logistics.’

Duvenbeck: Partner for Green Logistics

Sustainability has played a central role in logistics at Duvenbeck for years. ‘The increasing use of electric trucks, such as the MAN eTGX, is an essential part of Duvenbeck's corporate strategy to implement both sustainable and efficient logistics solutions. By the end of this month, we will have around 15 MAN eTGX Ultra Low Liners in our fleet. The experience we gain every day on the road actively contributes to further shaping and promoting sustainable logistics,’ says Hakan Bicil, CEO of the Duvenbeck Group.

Duvenbeck is continuously working on measures to optimise energy efficiency and conserve resources. These include the use of alternative drive systems, the reduction of empty journeys and innovative charging concepts. The use of the MAN eTruck marks a further contribution to minimising CO₂ emissions in the supply chain. Duvenbeck and MAN have agreed in a letter of intent (LOI) that up to 120 units of the MAN eTGX will be taken over by 2026.

Technological innovation as a key

The Ultra Low Liner eTruck MAN eTGX is a pioneer in its class: with a semitrailer height of just 950 mm, a very short wheelbase of 3.75 metres and yet maximum battery capacity, it offers a range of around 500 kilometres. Thanks to its modular battery concept with a choice of four, five or six battery packs, it can be optimally customised for any transport task. In addition to the standard CCS charging technology (up to 375 kW), it can also be ordered with the new MCS standard, initially with up to 750 kW and at a later date with up to one megawatt of charging power for fast charging during breaks from driving.

“We are delighted with the order. After all, this is the largest eBus order from a private customer in Austria,” says Rudi Kuchta, Managing Director at MAN Truck & Bus Vertrieb Österreich GesmbH, adding: ”The vehicles also herald the largest changeover from diesel to electric buses in the state of Tyrol to date.” The first two vehicles are due to be delivered in September 2025 and the remaining 25 city buses by the end of 2025. The all-electric solo and articulated buses will be used in local public transport in the Innsbruck region. The 18-metre electric buses offer sufficient space, especially for operations with particularly high passenger volumes.

In addition to their reliability and sustainability, the MAN Lion's City E also impresses with numerous innovations in terms of equipment and features. With the new electronics platform, a completely new cockpit has found its way into the Lion's City E. It is the central point of vehicle operation and meets the highest ergonomic standards. Numerous assistance and safety systems also ensure that the driver, passengers and other road users are as safe as possible on the road. The wheelchair-accessible and barrier-free interior ensures that even people with limited mobility can get from A to B without any problems. Comfort is also ensured by the standard CO₂ air conditioning system, which is both more environmentally friendly and significantly more efficient. “In order to protect the environment and make a contribution for us and our future generations, we are increasingly focusing on the use of electric buses. Our aim is to motivate people to replace individual car journeys with environmentally friendly bus journeys. We are convinced that we can achieve this with the MAN Lion's City E,” says Alexander Ledermair.

Another decisive factor in the decision to choose MAN was the all-round consulting on the switch to eMobility. The MAN Transport Solutions team looks at the entire conversion process with a 360° analysis - with the aim of ensuring a successful transition to electromobility with as little effort as possible for the operators. And even after the switch to e-vehicles, MAN's experts continue to support customers with their expertise and digital tools. For example, Ledermair Holding GmbH relies on the MAN eManager, a smart digital central command system that can be used to control the battery, room temperature and other vehicle parameters from the comfort of your desk. True to the brand's guiding principle of “Simplifying Business”, charging management for the e-fleet becomes more transparent, simpler and more efficient thanks to targeted monitoring and flexible remote operation. The MAN eManager also guarantees high vehicle availability and ensures that the charging status of the batteries always matches the timetable.

Jury honors performance, sustainability and flexibility

The Sby Award is the only European prize to recognize innovative, sustainable technologies that will significantly shape the future of mobility. It is awarded by a trade press jury representing ten European countries in the three categories of city bus, intercity bus and coach. It awarded the prize to the MAN Lion's City 12 E LE because the model meets the growing demand for low-entry buses. The all-electric city bus is powered by a powerful central electric motor with a peak output of 240 kW. MAN's modular battery concept allows the number of battery packs to be flexibly adapted to requirements in terms of charging time, number of passengers and range. The Lion's City 12 E LE offers a choice of four to six battery packs with a capacity of up to 480 kWh. According to the jury, it is characterized by outstanding performance as well as emission-free operation. In addition, operators can optimally manage their electric bus fleet and optimize performance and maintenance thanks to MAN DigitalServices. The verdict also states that the model is designed to be so flexible that it can be used in both urban and interurban transportation. It underlines MAN's commitment to sustainability and at the same time offers a practical and adaptable solution for the requirements of modern public transport. For these reasons, the Lion's City 12 E LE more than deserves the “Sustainable Bus Award”.

Award-winning: MAN eBus family generates enthusiasm

The low-entry bus celebrated its world premiere at Busworld 2023, making it the latest addition to MAN's eBus portfolio. “We are delighted that it has already received this highly prestigious bus award just one year after its premiere. We owe this to a team that works tirelessly for sustainable and innovative solutions,” explains Barbaros Oktay, Head of Bus at MAN Truck & Bus, adding: ”This commitment ensures that our eBuses prove themselves day after day in use and score points for range, reliability, comfort and environmental friendliness. This is extremely well received by customers, passengers and experts alike.” Last year, the Lion's City 10 E received the Sby Award 2024 and the Lion's City 12 E is the international “Bus of the Year 2023”.

Perfect for suburban and intercity routes

The Lion's City 12 E LE is based on the electric 12-metre solo bus, but ensures a particularly high level of seating comfort with a floor landscape adapted to customer feedback. With up to 41 passenger seats plus a special area for wheelchairs and baby carriages and a low-entry rear landscape without a motor tower, the Lion's City 12 E LE is perfect for suburban lines with Class 1 approval. The low-entry bus also marks MAN's all-electric entry into the growing intercity bus segment. “Class 2 approval for use on intercity routes will soon be possible for the eBus. The stricter specification for body rigidity in UN ECE R 66.02 will then also apply to these,” explains Kiess.

About the Sustainable Bus Award

The aim of the Sustainable Award is to create a positive awareness of sustainability. Aspects such as safety, comfort, noise development, recyclability of components, but also the manufacturer's general environmental awareness play a role in the jury's assessment. These are issues that are also important to MAN and that drive the company and its employees every day.

Intelligent space concept guarantees quick entry and exit

Following an extensive tendering process, Schiphol decided in favour of the electric buses from MAN Truck & Bus. In addition to the environmental friendliness of the vehicles, the Lion's City E impressed with its spaciousness, efficiency, range and reliability. “Our eBus is perfectly suited to meeting the increasing demand for passenger transport between aircraft and terminal,” says Heinz Kiess, Head of Product Marketing Bus at MAN Truck & Bus, adding: “Thanks to the intelligent space concept, our 12-metre solo bus can accommodate a maximum of up to 107 passengers.” In order to transport as many passengers as possible, the electric buses for Schiphol Airport are equipped with a small number of seats. In return, they have maximum standing room for passengers with hand luggage.

New MAN eBuses for even more comfort and reliability

Schiphol has been operating an all-electric bus fleet for ten years, making it one of the first airports in the Netherlands to switch to e-mobility. With the new generation of electric buses from MAN, the airport wants to take a decisive step forward in terms of passenger comfort while continuing to guarantee maximum reliability. “In the coming years, bus transportation will become increasingly important due to ever larger aircraft, among other things. This makes innovative and sustainable vehicles all the more important for us,” says Sybren Hahn.

More and more airports are opting for MAN Lion's City E

With over 60 million passengers, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is the fourth largest airport in Europe. “We are proud that more and more major airports are opting for our MAN Lion's City E. It clearly shows that the eBuses do a great job in city transport, but also in other areas of application,” emphasises Robert Katzer, Head of Sales & Product Bus at MAN Truck & Bus. Cologne-Bonn Airport, for example, already took delivery of MAN eBuses at the beginning of 2023. Munich Airport also recently ordered 49 fully electric Lion’s City E, with an option for a further 25 vehicles.

MAN CEO Alexander Vlaskamp: ‘This is a milestone in our company's history. MAN presented the first diesel truck 100 years ago. Now we are entering a new electric era. Our very first eTruck goes to DRÄXLMAIER. We are very pleased about the trust in MAN. After years of planning, development and many tens of thousands of kilometres of test drives, we are finally getting started.’

In future, the MAN eTGX will transport batteries for automotive supplier DRÄXLMAIER to the Porsche plant in Leipzig with zero emissions. The eTruck will be charged with electricity from renewable resources on the DRÄXLMAIER site. Alexander Vlaskamp: ‘It doesn't get much more sustainable than that. This is a real electric success story.’

Albrecht Reimold, Member of the Porsche Executive Board for Production and Logistics, said: ‘We are pleased that the supply of the Macan production in Leipzig is being expanded to include this innovative e-truck from MAN. The MAN eTGX proves that even large components such as battery modules can be transported electrically in large quantities’.

‘By using the MAN eTruck, we are realising complete electrification to our customer and reaffirming our commitment to making logistics processes more sustainable and future-oriented. In doing so, we are fulfilling a central aspect of our understanding of sustainability: reducing emissions in the supply chain,’ said Felix Klimas, Head of Supply Chain Management at the DRÄXLMAIER Group. Karsten Wilhelm, Site Manager at DRÄXLMAIER Leipzig, adds: ‘We are proud that we will be delivering to our customer with an eTruck in the future. The Leipzig battery plant is thus making a direct contribution to more sustainable logistics processes.’

DRÄXLMAIER will not purchase the vehicle itself, but will commission the transport. The vehicle is being purchased by Business Fleet Services (BFS), the largest MAN commercial vehicle rental company in Europe. BFS will rent the vehicle to Spedition Elflein, which will then operate the truck. Jan Plieninger, Managing Director of BFS: ‘As the largest rental company for MAN commercial vehicles in Europe, we are very pleased to be part of this historic milestone and to usher in the new electric era together with MAN and our customers. With the acquisition of the first MAN eTGX, we are once again demonstrating our pioneering role in forward-looking solutions for sustainable mobility.’

Stefanie Kotschenreuther, Managing Director of Elflein: ‘We are delighted to be the first transport and logistics service provider to use the new MAN eTruck. This step underlines our commitment to sustainable transport solutions. E-trucks will make a further important contribution to the decarbonisation of the logistics industry. What's more, the MAN eTGX is simply fun to drive, impressing with its excellent handling and controllability, outstanding power delivery and low noise levels.’

The project

The distance between the DRÄXLMAIER location and the customer's plant in Leipzig is about five kilometres. The truck transports an average of 15.5 tonnes. Two more vehicles are to follow by the end of the year, so that a total of three MAN eTGX will be in use for DRÄXLMAIER.

The vehicle

The MAN eTGX used for DRÄXLMAIER has 450 HP (330 kW), a battery capacity of 534 kWh (of which 480 kWh can be used) with six battery packs, an innovative design and a fully digital driver's workplace that has been specially designed for the eTruck. It has a charging capacity of up to 375 kW via CCS and, as a low-loader, a fifth-wheel height of 950 mm. MAN is the only manufacturer to produce an electric low-loader semitrailer tractor, also known as an ultra-tractor, as standard. Thanks to its particularly low fifth-wheel height, it can tow trailers with an interior height of three metres and thus transport significantly more volume. This is particularly interesting for the automotive industry, which often has to transport lightweight but large-volume parts. In addition, the MAN eTruck offers the shortest wheelbase in its class, making it compatible with all types of trailer.

Complete portfolio

The most powerful version of the MAN eTruck available has 544 HP (400 kW) and, depending on the application, can achieve a range of around 650 kilometres without recharging when equipped with a seventh* high-voltage battery that will be available in the future. The MAN eTGX and MAN eTGS are also available with the megawatt charging standard (MCS), which will in future allow charging capacities of one megawatt and more. This makes it possible to recharge the vehicle from 10 to 80 percent battery capacity in around half an hour. This makes the MAN eTruck suitable for long-distance transport.

A total of more than 2,500 orders and order enquiries have already been received for the eTruck. ‘Together with the eTGL, the eTruck's ‘little brother’, which will be presented at the IAA 2024, MAN now offers a complete portfolio of electric trucks from 12 to 50 tonnes. ‘We expect that by 2030, around half of all MAN trucks delivered will be battery-electric,’ says MAN Chief Sales Officer Friedrich Baumann.

* Available only as a chassis version; the seventh battery can be installed by MAN Individual.

"We are particularly pleased to receive the IToY jury's award. With the hydrogen combustion truck MAN hTGX, we are offering a useful addition to our battery-electric vehicles, thus rounding off our zero-emission product portfolio for special markets and heavy-duty applications. By being classified as a ‘zero-emission vehicle’, the hTGX makes an important contribution to the decarbonisation of road freight transport,’ explains Dr Frederik Zohm, Executive Board member for Research & Development at MAN Truck & Bus.  

This is the third time that MAN Truck & Bus has won the Truck Innovation Award. As recently as 2024, the commercial vehicle manufacturer received the award for its research and development projects in the field of autonomous driving for the ANITA and ATLAS-L4 projects. In 2019, the automated construction site protection vehicle AFAS won the coveted industry prize in its very first year. 

During a road test in Saalfelden, Austria, the IToY journalists praised the diesel-like performance and handling of the MAN hTGX, which is achieved by the MAN 16.8-litre H4576 six-cylinder in-line hydrogen engine. The jury also praised the heavy-duty truck's almost zero balance, the range of around 600 kilometres made possible by the 700 bar hydrogen pressure tank with a capacity of 56 kilograms, and the simplified exhaust gas aftertreatment system. 

The small series, initially planned with around 200 units, is to be delivered to customers in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Iceland and selected non-European countries as early as 2025. The MAN hTGX offers an alternative zero-emission drive variant for special applications, for example for the transport of heavy goods – such as in construction, tank transport or timber transport. The hTGX can also be an alternative to battery-electric trucks for use in areas without adequate charging infrastructure or for markets where sufficient hydrogen is already available.  

The MAN hTGX will be available in 6x2 and 6x4 axle configurations, enabling a high payload and maximum ranges of up to 600 kilometres. The hydrogen combustion engine H45 is based on the proven D38 diesel unit and will be produced in the engine and battery plant in Nuremberg. 

Video-Footage: 

https://brandportal.man/share/7YS8j1gH2EF9mBpKsXfC

“Sustainability is a key issue for us. We want Munich Airport's operations to leave no more CO₂ in the atmosphere by 2035 at the latest. With the purchase of the MAN eBuses, we are taking another important step in this direction,” says Jost Lammers, Chief Executive Officer at Flughafen München GmbH (FMG). The fully electric solo and articulated buses are used by AeroGround on the apron. They take passengers and crews from the terminals to their aircraft before take-off or pick them up after landing. For operations with particularly high passenger volumes, the 18-metre articulated buses offer sufficient space to supplement the battery-electric solo buses.

“We are delighted that another airport, Munich Airport, is relying on our MAN Lion's City E. It shows impressively that the eBuses are proving themselves in practical use in city traffic as well as in other areas of application,” explains Robert Katzer, Head of Sales & Product Bus at MAN Truck & Bus. Cologne-Bonn was the first German airport to take delivery of MAN eBuses at the beginning of 2023.

Innovative features for greater safety and comfort

The Lion's City E delivered to Munich Airport impresses with its reliability and sustainability as well as with numerous innovations in terms of equipment. With the new electronics platform, which will be used in all MAN buses from model year 2024, a completely new cockpit is making its way into the Lion's City E. The centerpiece is the 12-inch driver's display, which is completely digital. Thanks to the high level of user-friendliness of the digital cockpit, which meets the highest ergonomic standards and has a clear design, drivers can concentrate even better on the traffic on the tarmac. Numerous assistance and safety systems, which will be introduced in model year 2024, ensure even greater safety in the Lion's City E. New features include a radar-assisted turning aid for the blind right-hand side of the bus. A collision warning system with pedestrian detection is also on board all buses. It detects the entire front of the vehicle and warns the driver if, for example, people are moving in front of the bus at the boarding point on the way to the aircraft or terminal.

From a single source: eBuses and the right charging solution

The MAN eBuses have an impressive range of up to 350 km. If they need to be charged, 40 charging stations from SBRS will be available at the airport in future. MAN Transport Solutions offers MAN customers the right charging infrastructure in cooperation with SBRS, among others. MAN's aim is to make the switch to e-vehicles and services as safe, uncomplicated and cost-efficient as possible for customers thanks to comprehensive consulting. “The fact that we get our e-buses and the right charging solution from a single source was a decisive factor for us,” says Helmut Ehrnstraßer, Managing Director of AeroGround Flughafen München GmbH, adding: ”The new electric buses with modern equipment are a flagship for Munich Airport, as they are the first and last point of contact for passengers.” Munich Airport's fleet of vehicles includes 32 conventional MAN city buses - and is now being sustainably upgraded with state-of-the-art electric buses.

“With this new order, the Hansea fleet will grow to over 270 MAN eBuses, making it the largest zero-emission bus fleet in Belgium,” says Barbaros Oktay, Head of Bus at MAN Truck & Bus, adding: ”We are incredibly proud that Hansea has once again opted for our eBus. The order clearly shows how satisfied Hansea is with our Lion's City E and that it is proving its worth day after day.”

The vehicles will be delivered this year and next. “Sustainability is a key issue for us as well as for MAN. The order is definitely a milestone that confirms our joint commitment to sustainability,” says Joris Larosse, CEO from Hansea. He continues: “Our goal is to fully electrify our entire bus fleet by 2035. We have relied on MAN to convert our fleet right from the start. Over the last ten years, we have developed a trusted partnership based on intense professional cooperation.”

Maximum flexibility: Hansea orders 10-, 12- and 18-meter buses

In addition to the environmental friendliness of the city buses, reliability and flexibility also played a decisive role for the Belgian company. This is why Hansea has ordered the MAN Lion's City E in the 12-metre solo version as well as in the compact 10-metre version, which scores particularly well in narrow city centers thanks to its outstanding manoeuvrability. MAN is also supplying battery-electric 18-meter articulated buses, which show their strengths on routes with particularly high passenger volumes. Thanks to the different variants, Hansea can use the new bus fleet for a wide range of applications throughout Flanders. This is extremely important for the company, as it operates local and long-distance bus routes as part of a contract with the public transport companies De Lijn and TEC. Hansea also offers school buses, employee transportation and coach services.

To ensure that drivers and passengers arrive relaxed at all times, Hansea attached great importance to extensive comfort and safety equipment. MAN OptiView, for example, makes turning easier for the bus driver, especially in heavy city traffic. This is because the mirror replacement system makes the blind spot visible and thus ensures greater safety on the road, particularly when turning, but also when changing lanes and maneuvering. The equipment also includes a reversing camera, LED headlights, electric sun protection, a light/rain sensor and a comfortable driver's seat. Passengers are also seated in comfortable seats with high-quality seat covers and USB ports.

Pioneer from the beginning: first eBus in operation in Belgium in 2021

Another decisive factor for the new order was the many years of good cooperation with the Belgian bus division of MAN Truck & Bus as well as the delivery capability and the strong MAN service network, which Hansea can always rely on - just as it has been able to rely on MAN's eBuses for many years. In 2021, the first MAN Lion's City E was already making its rounds in Belgium on Antwerp line 36. Hansea tested the electric bus, which was part of the MAN Truck & Bus eBus demo fleet, for a year. The successful test deployment formed the basis for the follow-up orders for initially 90 and now a further 181 eBuses from MAN.

“This is a real success story that we are extremely proud of. After all, it also played a key role in our becoming the market leader for eBuses in Europe last year and the production figures for the Lion's City E are steadily increasing,” explains Oktay. However, MAN is not “only” the market leader in the overall European market, but also number 1 in a number of national eBus markets - including Belgium.

E.ON and MAN Truck & Bus are jointly taking a decisive step forward in the expansion of the charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles in Germany and Europe. As part of their new cooperation, the energy company and the commercial vehicle manufacturer will set up around 170 locations with around 400 stations for public charging of electric trucks across Europe. E.ON and MAN are investing in the new charging stations, which will be built along the existing MAN service network and will also be able to charge commercial vehicles from other manufacturers. Around 125 sites are planned in Germany alone. This will create the largest nationwide public charging network for heavy commercial vehicles in the country to date. Additional sites are being built in Austria, the UK, Denmark, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary.

“Europe has set itself the goal of reducing emissions from heavy commercial vehicles by 90 percent by 2040. Electric mobility is a central key to achieving this goal,” said Leonhard Birnbaum, CEO of E.ON. “We are investing heavily to give the infrastructure for electric heavy goods transport a decisive boost and to set the course for sustainable logistics and green supply chains. Nearly all major manufacturers are now focusing their development efforts on electric mobility. For the final breakthrough, we need a high-performance charging infrastructure that is designed on a European scale. We are delighted to be leading the way together with MAN.”

Alexander Vlaskamp, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus, adds: “For the mobility transition to be successful, we need around 50,000 charging points for heavy commercial vehicles in Europe by 2030. As a manufacturer of electric trucks, we are of course making our contribution to this. I am delighted that E.ON is now a strong partner for the electrification of our service locations. We are thus laying another foundation stone for a public charging network. However, we still urgently need the support of policymakers to build this network on a large scale.”

The new sites will be located at strategically selected MAN service bases, primarily in industrial areas with high truck volumes or near motorways. This means that public charging can be easily integrated into daily operations. The layout of the sites is specially designed for charging electric commercial vehicles: This includes a drive-through facility through the charging station so that trucks and buses do not have to maneuver. Wherever possible, the stations are installed in separate areas from the MAN service operations - with separate entrances and exits for the charging area - to ensure that they are accessible to the public, regardless of the make of vehicle. During the day, drivers also benefit from the existing infrastructure, such as sanitary facilities and recreation rooms.

The sites will be built in a modular fashion. As a first step, each site will be equipped with several 400 kW charging stations. This will allow an average electric truck to recharge for a range of up to 300 kilometers in about 45 minutes. Later, the sites will be upgraded to the MCS megawatt charging system.

Cross-industry commitment to speed up the expansion of truck charging infrastructure

The first 80 sites of the new charging network are to be built by the end of 2025 Sukhjinder Singh, CEO of E.ON subsidiary E.ON Drive Infrastructure: “The partnership with MAN Truck & Bus is a key milestone on the road to a sustainable future for heavy-duty transport. By combining MAN's extensive service network with E.ON's expertise in charging infrastructure, we are setting a new standard for electromobility in the commercial vehicle sector.”

Friedrich Baumann, Executive Board Member for Sales and Customer Solutions at MAN Truck & Bus SE: “With our new eTruck, we are launching series production this year of a vehicle that is suitable for almost all applications. The response has been very positive. However, the right charging infrastructure will ultimately decide whether our customers actually switch from diesel to electric drive. I am therefore delighted that we are now tackling the electrification of our service network together with E.ON.”

The political goals for decarbonizing transport in Germany and Europe are clear: the German government wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from heavy goods traffic in Germany by 55% by 2030 and to be climate neutral by 2045. The EU recently agreed to reduce CO2 emissions from heavy-duty vehicles by 65% by 2035 and 90% by 2040 compared to 2019 levels. Against this backdrop, the industry is investing heavily in vehicles and infrastructure.

The electrification of MAN's product portfolio is gathering pace. The first production-ready electric truck with a daily range of up to 800 kilometers is in the starting blocks for 2024. The range of the electric city bus will be extended by a product update next year. MAN also plans to put its first test fleet of electric coaches on the road in 2025. Meanwhile, as a full-service provider for electromobility and charging solutions, E.ON already offers access to a comprehensive network of more than 500,000 car charging points across Europe. Companies and municipalities also benefit from customized charging infrastructure and electrification strategies for their fleets. E.ON also contributes its expertise in financing, site analysis and grid connection. Grid expansion and digitalization are not only essential for the future supply of renewable energy, but also for an efficient charging infrastructure.

About E.ON

E.ON is an international investor-owned energy company headquartered in Essen, Germany, which focuses on energy networks, customer solutions and energy sales. As one of Europe's largest energy companies, E.ON plays a leading role in shaping a sustainable, digital, decentralized world of energy. To this end, around 75,000 employees develop and sell products and solutions for private, commercial and industrial customers. More than 47 million customers purchase electricity, gas, digital products or solutions for electric mobility, energy efficiency and climate protection from E.ON. For more information, please visit www.eon.com.

E.ON Drive Infrastructure (EDRI) is a pan-European charging station operator belonging to the E.ON Group that combines network development, construction and operation of public charging infrastructure for electric cars and commercial vehicles. EDRI draws on decades of energy expertise. The E.ON Group's portfolio also includes solutions to support private customers, companies and fleet operators in the transition to electric mobility. E.ON has set itself the goal of becoming one of the leading operators of charging infrastructure in Europe by 2030.

About MAN Truck & Bus

MAN Truck & Bus is one of Europe's leading manufacturers of commercial vehicles and providers of transport solutions with annual sales of around 14.8 billion euros (2023). Its product portfolio includes vans, trucks, buses, diesel and gas engines as well as services for passenger and freight transport. MAN sees electric drives for commercial vehicles as a decisive factor on the way to locally emission-free, climate-friendly mobility. MAN Truck & Bus is a member of the TRATON GROUP and employs approximately 33,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit www.man.eu.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by E.ON Group Management and other information currently available to E.ON. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. E.ON SE does not intend, and does not assume any liability whatsoever, to update these forward-looking statements or to align them to future events or developments.

By joining the "Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)" climate protection initiative in 2021, binding and science-based targets were set to reduce climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions: By 2030, 70% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) are to be saved at MAN's global company sites compared to the base year 2019 (Scopes 1 and 2). By the end of 2023, a reduction of 51.2 percent had already been achieved.

GHG fleet emissions per vehicle kilometer of trucks, buses and vans sold by MAN (Scope 3) are to be reduced by 28% by 2030 compared to 2019. In the 2023 reporting year, a reduction of 12.8% was achieved here.

"MAN Truck & Bus can look back on an extremely successful 2023 in economic terms. At the same time, despite the significant increase in production output, we were able to further reduce our greenhouse gas emissions at the global sites. An achievement we are particularly proud of. And the ramp-up of our product portfolio towards alternative drive systems also achieved important milestones on the road to decarbonization in 2023 with our market leadership in all-electric city buses and the market launch of our eTruck," says Alexander Vlaskamp, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus.

Decarbonization by means of alternative drives

In 2023, more than 96 percent of the company's greenhouse gas emissions were generated during the use phase of newly sold MAN products. The conversion of the vehicle fleet to alternative drive systems is therefore the greatest lever for the commercial vehicle manufacturer to achieve its ambitious CO2 targets.

MAN has succeeded in becoming the market leader in Europe for all-electric city buses in 2023, just four years after the market launch of the MAN Lion's City E. The ramp-up of all-electric trucks is also continuing to gather pace with the sales launch of the MAN TGX and TGS in October 2023. The first vehicles are expected to be delivered to customers as early as 2024. In addition to the purely battery-electric drive, MAN also sees hydrogen-based drive systems. A small series of a truck with hydrogen combustion technology (MAN hTGX), which will be classified as a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV), is to be delivered to the first pilot customers as early as 2025.

Low CO2 production

Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions are to be reduced even further through the systematic conversion and modernization of the energy supply, the use of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency measures.

MAN is implementing a comprehensive catalog of measures to achieve these ambitious savings targets. The energy supply at the production sites is gradually being converted to electricity and heat from renewable energy sources. In addition to the external procurement of renewable energy, this also includes the installation of photovoltaic systems, for example in South Africa and Ankara. At the plant in Krakow, the gas heating system was converted to a lower-CO2 wood pellet heating system. The Nuremberg site was also connected to a district heating network and the use of geothermal energy is being planned for the main plant in Munich.

In terms of energy supply, the proportion of renewable energy sources from so-called "PPAs" - Power Purchase Agreements - is gradually being increased. This will increase the direct purchase of solar or wind energy as well as the planning security of the energy supply.

Cicular economy

In times of raw material shortages, MAN sees the circular economy model as making a significant contribution to value creation and environmental protection in equal measure. This includes the efficient and responsible use of raw materials, the reuse of parts and components and the prevention of environmental pollution. In the year under review, the recycling rate for production waste was 95 percent.

Link to report: https://www.man.eu/ntg_media/media/content_medien/doc/man_unternehmenswebsite_1/about_man_1/sustainability_1/MAN_NHB_2023_EN.pdf

MAN Truck & Bus is significantly expanding the eTruck portfolio for its customers. The number of configurable eTruck variants has risen to over one million from the three customer combinations previously defined. The new chassis versions of the eTGX and eTGS can be highly customised with a variety of wheelbases, cab versions, engine performance classes, battery combinations, charging connection positions and numerous other industry-typical features. MAN is launching the new 4x2 and 6x2 chassis range in time for IFAT, the world's leading trade fair for water, sewage, waste and raw materials management, which will take place in Munich from 13 to 17 May 2024. They are the ideal vehicle base for the wide variety of application requirements in municipal and utility management. Thanks to an expected predicted performance period of up to 1.6 million kilometres or up to 15 years, depending on the type of application, the batteries are also extremely durable and extremely suitable for use in municipalities.

"MAN has traditionally been very strong in the field of environmental technology vehicles. This expertise naturally also benefits our new electric trucks. With the new eTruck chassis, we are now increasingly moving into industry applications. This means that our pioneering electric range is in no way inferior to our previous diesel portfolio, even in specialised vehicle bodies," says Stefan Schall, Head of Sales Truck, Van & Used at MAN Truck & Bus Deutschland GmbH.

With their three, four, five or six modularly combinable and variably positionable batteries, the 18 to 28 tonne MAN eTGX and MAN eTGS chassis with their optional 333, 449 or 544 electric hp offer exactly what the extensive range of body solutions needs: flexible free space for body components on the vehicle frame, a wide range of mechanical and electric drives for body functions in various performance classes, up to nine different wheelbases, six cab variants, steered and non-steered trailing axles, leaf air and full air suspension, driving programmes specially adapted to the respective application and numerous other industry-typical features.

Waste collection vehicles as rear or side loaders, roll-off and skip loaders, e.g. for building rubble skips, platform trucks, three-way tippers and crane tippers for transporting building materials, as well as snow clearing vehicles or aerial work platforms can be easily realised on the new MAN eTruck chassis, along with many other body solutions. And with long ranges, because even for the shortest wheelbase of 3.75 metres, five batteries with a usable capacity of up to 400 kWh are available. This corresponds to a range of up to 500 kilometres without intermediate charging. Typical daily mileages in municipal and waste disposal applications are therefore also possible with a smaller number of batteries. In return, the available payload increases by up to 2,400 kilograms.

Industry-specific: comprehensive eMobility advice from MAN

In line with the new eTruck range, MAN is presenting its 360-degree eMobility Consulting at the IFAT fair. The advice on switching to electromobility includes customer-specific analyses of vehicle deployment and charging infrastructure requirements. The charging stations themselves are also part of the offer through co-operations with charging infrastructure suppliers. In addition, service contracts and financing solutions tailored specifically to electromobility and the needs of the environmental technology sector as well as numerous digital services are available for the use of the new electric lions.

Industry expertise: MAN with an extensive portfolio at IFAT

In addition to a new MAN eTGS with roll-off tipper body, MAN will also be showcasing its vehicle expertise for a wide range of environmental technology bodies at IFAT with conventionally powered exhibits. A compact and manoeuvrable waste collector for city centres and pedestrian zones based on the MAN TGE van and an MAN TGM with winter service equipment represent the tonnage classes from 3.5 to 18 tonnes. MAN Individual will be presenting its range of industry-specific chassis and cab customisations at IFAT. As a premiere in the area of safety and assistance systems, MAN will be presenting the compatibility of emergency brake assistance function and snow plough mounting plate at the trade fair. This is made possible by a newly positioned radar sensor that is not covered by the plate mounted on the front of the vehicle. Other MAN vehicles with innovative body solutions can be seen at the stands of the body manufacturers and in the live demonstration "VAK Truck in Action" at the exhibition centre.

Initially, MAN Truck & Bus Korea will focus on applications in the field of emergency power and continuous power generation, such as those used in hotel facilities, hospitals and data centers. To this end, MAN Engines offers genset manufacturers who focus on high-quality and reliable products, sophisticated diesel engines and specially designed gas engines. In addition, due to the growth of the maritime leisure industry, MAN Truck & Bus Korea sees an increasing demand for service for MAN Engines yacht engines in the power range of 200 to 2,200 hp (147 – 1,618 kW).

As a strong partner to the marine industry, MAN Engines offers operators of yachts and workboats good access to over 500 service partners in all major ports and hot spots around the world. MAN engines for power generation are reliable energy suppliers worldwide for peak load, emergency power and basic supply. 

The MAN Lion's City E has become an integral part of the cityscape of many major cities. 780 MAN eBuses were registered in Europe (EU27+3) last year alone. According to the latest registration statistics, MAN Truck & Bus has thus taken the top position in the European electric bus market, leaving the competition behind with a market share of around 13.3 percent. The sales figures for MAN eBuses in Europe also speak for themselves: the commercial vehicle manufacturer sold a total of 771 eBuses in 2023 and almost tripled the sales figures for the Lion's City E compared to the previous year (263 eBuses in 2022).

However, MAN is not "only" the market leader in the overall European market, but also number 1 in the national eBus markets of Germany (245 Lion's City E were registered here in 2023), Sweden (126 registrations), Belgium (69 registrations), Austria (26 registrations) and Slovenia (8 registrations). "In terms of numbers, the markets in Germany, Sweden, Spain, Norway and Belgium are leading the race," says Robert Katzer, Head of Sales & Product Bus, adding: "Almost 80% of all Lion's City E registered in Europe in 2023 are on the road in these five countries, providing safe, reliable and, above all, sustainable public transport."

The eBus markets in Spain and Norway grew particularly strongly in the past year - both in terms of total registrations and new registrations of MAN eBuses: 76 Lion's City E were put into operation in Norway and 93 in Spain, with the Spanish cities of Alicante, Bilbao, Málaga, San Sebastián and Valencia, among others, relying on the innovative city bus. "Our 1,000th Lion's City E, which rolled off the production line at MAN's Polish plant in Starachowice in September 2023, almost three years after the start of series production, is also in operation in the greater Madrid area and therefore in Spain," says Katzer. The eBus was ordered by the transport company Auto Periferia S.A., a subsidiary of the Spanish Grupo Ruiz.

Scandinavia is also regarded as one of the pioneers when it comes to electromobility. This is also reflected in the registration figures: In Sweden, Norway and Denmark, 230 electrically powered MAN city buses were registered in the past financial year. MAN successfully put 76 eBuses on the road in the Norwegian capital Oslo in December alone. The 59 solo and 17 articulated buses were ordered by transport operator Unibuss. The company opted for the MAN Lion's City E in part to significantly improve the CO₂ balance in public transport.

"We are delighted with these successes, which we owe to our customers, but also to the tireless efforts of our bus team," says Barbaros Oktay, Head of Bus at MAN Truck & Bus. "In the new year, we clearly want to continue to drive forward the transformation towards sustainable mobility and increase our sales of battery-electric buses." Together with partners and customers, MAN is driving sustainable mobility forward in order to take account of environmental and climate protection. The commercial vehicle manufacturer is fully committed to the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.

MAN's efforts are focused on comprehensive advice and innovative solutions tailored to the needs of the market. "It was always clear to us that we would develop and continuously optimize our eBus in close cooperation with our customers. After all, our goal was and is to offer the best electric city bus and to provide the best possible support to transport companies on their way to sustainable public transport. The fact that our efforts have been rewarded by the market and many experts is a great success," Oktay sums up.

In addition to customers, drivers and passengers, the Lion's City E also impresses experts and the trade press. The eBus was named "Bus of the Year 2023" by the international "Bus & Coach of the Year" jury. An international jury of experts also voted it "Sustainable Bus of the Year 2024". Efficiency, environmental friendliness and MAN's commitment as a pioneer in the field of eMobility in particular generated a lot of enthusiasm.

The young soccer fans from the SOS Children's Village Ammersee-Lech are in Christmas fever. A total of 24 children and young people aged between six and eighteen were taken on a trip to the Allianz Arena in the MAN FC Bayern team bus.

Once there, they were greeted by FC Bayern mascot Berni and the mascot gave the kids gift bags with chocolate and small footballs. This was followed by an exclusive tour of the stadium plus a whole load of expert knowledge. As a memento of this special excursion, the children were able to pick out an early Christmas present in the FC Bayern fan store before taking the Bayern bus back home to the Ammersee.

"Social and ecological responsibility is an integral part of our sustainability strategy at MAN. The SOS Children's Villages are an important social institution for giving children in need a future. And so we are particularly pleased that we were able to bring a smile to the children's faces with this initiative." explains Arne Puls, Chief Human Resources Officer and Labour Director at MAN Truck & Bus SE.

MAN and the SOS-Kinderdorf e.V. have had a long-term and trusting partnership since 2008. The company also supports the charitable organization financially with national and international programs. MAN has also been a sponsor of FC Bayern Munich for many years. So what could be more obvious than bringing the two partnerships together to give the children an unforgettable pre-Christmas experience?

About SOS Children's Villages:

SOS Children's Villages provides a home for children in need and helps to improve the social situation of disadvantaged young people and families as well as people with disabilities. In SOS Children's Villages, children whose biological parents are unable to look after them for various reasons grow up in a family environment. They receive protection and a sense of security, giving them the tools for a successful life. In Germany, a total of around 5,000 employees at 254 locations help in 38 facilities. The German SOS Children's Villages Association is also active in a further 109 countries worldwide.

The basis for the MAN H4576 is the established MAN D3876 diesel engine. This shares about 80% of its basic components such as the crankcase, crankshaft, connecting rods as well as the cooling and oil circuits including pumps, oil pan and filter with the new hydrogen engine. The almost identical dimensions of the two combustion engines make it easier for machine manufacturers to integrate them into existing vehicle concepts.

An important change, however, is the increase in bore from 138 mm to 145 mm, while the stroke remains unchanged at 176 mm. This modification to a larger displacement of 16.8 liters compared to the 15.3 liters of the MAN D3876 diesel engine is necessary in view of the lower power density of hydrogen engines in order to achieve the target power. Significant modifications were made to the components for hydrogen supply and combustion, the engine control system and the exhaust gas control system:

The hydrogen supply of the MAN H4576 comprises the system of new low-pressure lines and a rail, which supply the injector with the required hydrogen (chemically: H2). Precise pressure control is used to dose the hydrogen demand to ensure efficient combustion and optimally supply the engine with the fuel. The hydrogen injector is used for low-pressure direct injection with an injection pressure of up to 40 bar. It is mounted directly in the combustion chamber for higher performance and better engine response. The specially tuned ignition system takes these properties into account and enables reliable and controlled spark ignition of the hydrogen mixture. Among other things, the specially designed engine control unit controls the supply of hydrogen and air, regulates injection and ignition, and continuously adjusts the engine parameters to enable safe and efficient combustion. Compared to the diesel engine, the hydrogen combustion engine requires new pistons and liners, as the piston diameter has been increased to 145 mm. With 500 hp (368 kW), the resulting higher displacement achieves a similar performance to that of the MAN D2676 diesel engine with a displacement of 12.4 litres. The new turbocharger ensures optimum dynamics and helps to reduce fuel consumption.

The only relevant emissions that occur as potential by-products of H2 combustion and could end up in the exhaust gas to a significant extent are nitrogen oxides (NOx). In order to reduce this to almost zero, MAN Engines relies on an advanced combustion process and an established exhaust gas aftertreatment system. The combination of hydrogen combustion engine and exhaust gas aftertreatment meets the EU Stage V and Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) emission standards.

In the development of the MAN H4576, MAN Engines benefits from its extensive experience in hydrogen engine technology and know-how in the field of gas engines for a wide range of applications. As early as 1996, MAN presented a hydrogen-powered bus at the Hannover Messe. This SL 202 city bus was powered by a natural gas engine that had been modified for hydrogen operation. "We started early on to deal with environmentally friendly drives. We are still benefiting from this pioneering role in technology today," says Werner Kübler, Head of Engineering at MAN Engines.

The MAN H4576 hydrogen combustion engine can be brought to market quickly thanks to its existing technology. The pioneer for emission-free drives for off-road vehicles in cooperation with MAN Engines is Kässbohrer Off-Road Vehicles. Their PistenBully 800 vehicle, which will be presented in 2023, already takes into account in its design that there will be space for a future hydrogen combustion engine – the MAN H4576 – and that corresponding interfaces will be available. However, the MAN H4576 engine also shows that hydrogen does not have to be used exclusively as the only fuel. Designed as a dual-fuel engine, it can be used in combination with conventional diesel or alternative fuels such as HVO. A successful example of this is the twelve-cylinder MAN D2862 V-engine, which has been powering the Hydrocat 48 wind farm supply vessel as a hydrogen dual-fuel engine since mid-2022. In addition, MAN Engines is currently developing a stationary hydrogen engine – the MAN H3268 – for combined heat and power in combined heat and power plants.

Product presentation at Agritechnica 2023

The MAN H4576 and other products and solutions with which MAN Engines is making its contribution to decarbonization will be on display at Agritechnica from 12 to 18 November 2023. MAN Engines will be exhibiting in the "Systems & Components" area in Hall 15, Stand G05.

MAN Truck & Bus already has many years of experience with batteries and battery packs through its many of the Group's own electrically powered commercial vehicles: the all-electric eTGE van was already marketed as a series vehicle in 2018, the medium-duty series of the battery-electric truck eTGM has been in customer use for urban delivery traffic since 2018, and more than 1,000 units of the Lion's City E electric bus have already been produced, bringing the total number of battery packs to over 6,000 in the Placed. With 260 electric buses in the first half of 2023, MAN ranks second in terms of new registrations in Europe. The next member of MAN's battery-powered, all-electric vehicle family will be the eTGX and eTGS heavy-duty trucks from 2024.

MAN BatteryPacks from Group-owned commercial vehicles

The electrically powered trucks and buses from MAN Truck & Bus are based on the MAN BatteryPacks, which MAN Engines is now adapting and marketing for other industrial applications. In general, a MAN BatteryPack – also known as a battery system – consists of several battery modules that are brought together in two to four layers in the battery housing. In turn, many battery cells are combined in each battery module. Due to the different arrangement options for the modules, differently designed MAN BatteryPacks can be produced. Each MAN BatteryPack contains 89 kWh of energy, of which 80 kWh can be used. Thanks to three different forms – from almost square to elongated – there are possibilities for integration into a wide variety of installation spaces. Currently, up to six MAN BatteryPacks can be combined with each other to achieve system capacities of up to 480 kWh net. A MAN eTruck of the heavy-duty model series thus achieves daily ranges of up to 800 kilometres.

In the context of e-mobility, the lithium-ion battery has gained the greatest importance in recent years. On this basis, MAN developed a special commercial vehicle-specific design of the battery cell with a focus on the properties of cell chemistry, charging cycles, mechanical robustness, vibration resistance and service life. The low weight and fast-charging capability make the nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery as a variant of the lithium-ion battery the means of choice for battery-electric commercial vehicle concepts.

Due to the great importance of cell properties for the performance of batteries, MAN plays a key role in determining the cell chemistry as well as the cathode and anode material. "We have numerous levers to create the best possible product for our customers, so we use them," says Dr.-Ing. Michael Bernath, Head of New Powertrain Components Development at MAN Truck & Bus. The requirements for the battery in the truck sector clearly exceed those in the passenger car sector: almost 500 kWh capacity, more than 8 years of efficient service life or mechanical load capacity of over 1.2 million kilometres, to name just a few. "The cell chemistry of our MAN BatteryPacks is designed to meet the highest demands. Our customers in the industrial sector also benefit from this," says Haberland.

Significant expansion of production capacities

In order to ensure that the strict requirements for the quality and safety of the batteries can be met, MAN Truck & Bus will manufacture the batteries in large series at the Nuremberg site from the beginning of 2025. The former international competence center for internal combustion engines is thus also developing into the linchpin for battery expertise in the MAN Group and is strategically realigning itself to this end. "In Nuremberg, we are bundling all key capacities, know-how and resources on the subject of batteries. This ranges from research, prototype development and construction, extensive testing, appropriate production design and manufacturing to dismantling, quality assurance and remanufacturing," says Dr. Markus Pröpster, Senior Manager at the E-Mobility Technical Center in Nuremberg. On an area of around 16,000 square meters, intelligently interlinked assembly and logistics systems can produce up to 100,000 battery packs per year. The groundbreaking ceremony on October 9, 2023, marked the start of large-scale battery production with an investment volume of 100 million euros.

The know-how for the development and production of high-voltage battery systems has been built up at the Nuremberg site since 2020 in the battery pilot plant as a pre-series center. To this end, massive investments have already been made in the infrastructure for the development areas in advance. Clear core competencies have emerged: These are the design and testing of battery housings, the assembly of battery systems, cell and module development as well as the development of battery management systems (BMS) such as control units, hardware and software for controlling the battery. "We offer the combination of the best cell and the best operating strategy and only then do we have the best possible properties for our batteries," says Bernath. The software is of fundamental importance here. The evaluation and virtual design of operating states and load cycles can have a significant influence on the service life and performance of the batteries. "We have been able to expand our knowledge of load profiles in the areas of on-road, off-road, power and marine over decades in engine construction. This means that we can now design the ideal battery not only in terms of hardware but also in terms of software," says Bernath. Through the strategic orientation of battery production and the use in Group-owned trucks and buses, MAN Truck & Bus, as a German commercial vehicle manufacturer, creates high standards in terms of quality, service life, robustness, temperature and extreme environmental conditions. Taking these factors into account, the topic of battery safety has been successfully researched through direct and indirect safety measurements in real test environments. Product improvements can also be continuously implemented with regard to the efficient service life on the basis of existing long-term experience. On the basis of these prerequisites, MAN Engines can work with customers from a wide range of industries, so-called OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers), to develop scenarios for original equipment (1st-life) or the secondary use of batteries that have already been used (2nd-life).

Experience in customer-specific development

As a business unit of MAN Truck & Bus, MAN Engines has been successfully developing customer- and application-specific solutions for decades with diesel and gas engines for applications in agricultural and rail technology, commercial and leisure shipping, and power generation. On the basis of the sophisticated combustion engines tested in commercial vehicles, engineers with the appropriate industry know-how further develop existing engines or assemblies and thus create leading drive solutions on the water and off the road. These experiences can be used identically for battery production for industrial customers. "Our battery customers benefit from the advantages of large-scale production and receive specific prototypes and small series optimally developed for their application at the same location. At the same time, MAN Engines operates a global service network, which will also be available to our battery customers in the future," says Haberland. Due to the prospective ramp-up of production to 100,000 MAN BatteryPacks per year in the next few years, external customers will be able to easily build on established processes and structures, for example to meet compliance with the European Battery Regulation, which pursues a complete lifecycle approach from procurement and production to use and recycling.

Closed recycling loop with different levels of use

When it comes to recycling, MAN Truck & Bus – and thus also MAN Engines – considers the entire life cycle of the battery up to recycling to be a closed loop. "The overarching goal in dealing with batteries is to close the material cycle in order to make a significant contribution to more sustainable development," says Pröpster. To this end, MAN will automatically assess the condition of batteries that are no longer suitable for use in commercial vehicles and then dismantle them. From the outset, different states such as shape, structure and manufacturer as well as properties of the battery are analyzed. For further use, reuse in the vehicle as a traction battery is considered after appropriate reprocessing. After the aforementioned factory repair (2nd-use) of the batteries or in the event that batteries are no longer suitable for stationary buffer storage of solar, wind or biogas plants after vehicle use or after an accident (2nd-life), recycling comes into play. MAN will implement a closed loop for battery raw materials with the primary goal of continuously extending the use of batteries and thus resources. Only when this is no longer possible will the valuable, recovered raw materials such as nickel, manganese, cobalt or lithium flow into the production of new batteries. For recycling, MAN prefers a mechanical process followed by hydrometallurgical processing. Through a mechanical and hydrometallurgical process, the valuable raw materials are recovered from the battery. MAN is part of the Volkswagen Group recycling network with recycling partners throughout Europe.

Product presentation at Agritechnica 2023

The MAN BatteryPack and other products and solutions with which MAN Engines is making its contribution to decarbonization will be on display at Agritechnica from 12 to 18 November 2023. MAN Engines will be exhibiting in the "Systems & Components" area in Hall 15, Stand G05.

MAN Truck & Bus has launched sales of the first heavy-duty electric truck in its corporate history, marking another milestone in the decarbonization of freight transport. 600 order inquiries have already been received. The first 200 units are scheduled to roll out to selected customers as early as 2024, before production at MAN's Munich plant starts in larger numbers from 2025 as orders ramp up.

With the eMobility Center, MAN laid the foundation for the development of the new MAN eTGX and MAN eTGS high-volume electric trucks at its Munich plant around two years ago and invested heavily in preparations for mixed production of diesel and electric trucks. 50 prototypes have since been built, and around 4,000 employees from production and sales have been trained for the switch to electric mobility. At MAN's Nuremberg site, MAN is investing around €100 million in setting up battery production.

"In order to achieve the 1.5-degree target of the Paris climate agreement, we as the commercial vehicle industry must do our part and sustainably reduce CO2 emissions. Electric trucks are the key to achieving this. As a commercial vehicle manufacturer, we have repositioned ourselves for this epochal transformation in recent years, making ourselves robust and future-proof to be able to handle the high investments in the new technology. With the sale of our new eTrucks, we are now launching into a new era of climate-neutral transport. As early as 2030, every second MAN truck registered in Europe is to be electric. However, for us to achieve this goal, a nationwide charging infrastructure is an absolute prerequisite. We therefore need a significantly accelerated expansion to at least 4,000 megawatt charging points in Germany and 50,000 high-capacity and megawatt charging points in Europe by 2030," says Friedrich Baumann, Executive Board member for Sales and Customer Solutions at MAN Truck & Bus.

For MAN's developers, it was clear from the outset that the nationwide switch to electromobility would only succeed if the new eTruck was in no way inferior to a diesel truck in terms of practicality and application suitability, but above all in terms of its ability to be combined with a wide range of body solutions. Equally important is the pre-purchase consultation phase as an essential basis for successful use.

eConsulting to eServices

While the development staff have been working hard to make the electric drive in trucks fit for all areas of application and use in road haulage, the MAN Transport Solutions team is already working continuously to prepare transport companies for this new era. Because on the user side, too, a transformation is needed on the way to the eTruck. This is where 360 Degree eMobility Consulting comes in. In addition to advice on suitable vehicles, this also includes consideration of customer-specific operating conditions such as operating phases including cost optimization, route analysis, fleet optimization and, building on this, the necessary advice on the charging infrastructure. Additional support is provided by digital tools such as the new MAN eReadyCheck, which customers can use to check how their delivery routes can be driven purely electrically, and the MAN eManager, which enables fleet managers to keep a constant eye on the important information on the charging status of all trucks in the fleet. Beyond the product and its application, MAN is also committed to expanding the charging infrastructure: together with Daimler Truck and the Volvo Group, the TRATON GROUP has established a joint venture to set up at least 1,700 high-performance charging points on or near highways and logistics hubs throughout Europe. MAN also has its own charging infrastructure offering for customers in its portfolio. For this purpose, MAN cooperates with charging infrastructure manufacturers such as ABB, Heliox, and SBRS.

Application-modular battery and charging connection range

The new MAN eTGX and MAN eTGS are characterized by high variability in battery configurations. With six battery packs, two of which are installed under the cab and up to four more on the side of the vehicle frame, both offer up to 480 kWh of usable battery capacity for daily ranges of up to 800 kilometers. Developed by MAN specifically for use in commercial vehicles, they will be mass-produced at the Nuremberg plant from 2025. With their NMC cell chemistry and specially developed temperature management, the battery packs offer high energy density with a compact design, long service life and fast charging - even with low residual battery charge and low outside temperatures. This means that the optimum vehicle configuration in terms of range, payload and charging time can be selected for every application characteristic - from supermarket deliveries in the city center, through regional building materials supply, to long-distance transport in production logistics.

Operations in urban distribution transport, for example, generally require shorter daily ranges of up to 250 kilometers, and recharging takes place overnight after the tours in the logistics depot. The modular battery concept of the MAN eTGX and MAN eTGS offers the option of equipping the vehicle with only three, four or five battery packs instead of six, thus reducing the vehicle weight by up to 2.4 metric tons for more available payload and lower consumption for partial loads or empty runs.

In addition to the CCS standard with up to 375 kW, MAN will be offering the much more powerful megawatt charging standard (MCS) for fast intermediate charging during breaks in driving times right from the start of sales, which will initially enable 750 kW, and in a later expansion stage even more than one megawatt of charging power. And here, too, MAN has thought of as much flexibility as possible for customer use with different charging station locations at the depots. Two CCS connections can be variably combined on the left and right sides behind the front wheel arch or on the right side of the frame at the rear. The MCS connection can also be ordered on the left or right instead of one of the front CCS connections. The MAN battery management system ensures that the batteries are always in optimum operating condition with regard to the charging status of the individual cells, voltage and current monitoring, optimum temperature regulation and insulation monitoring during charging and driving.

Optimal positioning of batteries and drive unit

The modular battery architecture makes the MAN eTGX and MAN eTGS particularly body-friendly. Free spaces on the left or right of the frame for high-performance pumps, equipment stowage areas, crane outriggers and similar body components with increased space requirements can be easily realized thanks to the flexible positioning of the batteries. The standard installation of two batteries under the cab, similar to the combustion engine in conventional vehicles, also ensures favorable weight distribution. The positioning of the central drive unit also contributes to this. It sits centrally in the frame and comprises the synchronous electric motor, the inverter responsible for converting battery direct current into alternating current and for motor control, and the 2- or 4-speed transmission used depending on the power design, which drives the drive axles proven in the previous vehicle portfolio via a conventional cardan shaft.

Depending on the application configuration, the electric motor produces 333 hp (254 kW), 449 hp (330 kW) or 544 hp (400 kW) with corresponding maximum torque of 800, 1,150 or 1,250 Newton meters. In overrun and braking phases, the electric motor can be used by the driver as a generator, depending on usage requirements, and converts the vehicle's kinetic energy back into electrical energy. The batteries are recharged in the process. The maximum possible recuperation power corresponds to the drive power of the electric motor and is thus comparable to that of today's high-performance diesel engine endurance brakes. As with these, the automatic shifting of the transmission supports the best possible recuperation with increased engine speeds.

Optimum bodybuilder friendliness

The advantages of the electric powertrain body of MAN eTGX and MAN eTGS, e.g. compared with e-axle concepts or similar designs, are, in addition to a very good payload of the rear axle, a high level of ride comfort due to low unsprung masses and good protection of the drive unit, which is securely mounted in the frame, against impacts and vibrations. In addition, a mechanical auxiliary drive can be easily integrated in this installation position to drive body functions such as hydraulic pumps. Connecting an electromechanical power take-off is also straightforward on the new MAN eTrucks.

The overall combination of modular battery concept and payload- and body-friendly positioning of the drive unit also allows very short wheelbases from 3.75 meters, which makes it possible to combine the semitrailer tractor with all common semitrailer variants within the permissible overall length specifications. The compact design of the batteries is also the reason why MAN can also offer the new eTruck as a volume variant with a very low frame height for transports with an interior height of three meters. The area of application here is primarily production logistics, for example in the automotive industry, which is particularly predestined for a rapid switch from diesel to electric drive due to its application profiles with their standard transports between logistics hubs.

Electrically even better: relaxed driving with a high level of comfort

Drivers of the MAN eTGX and MAN eTGS need have no fear of contact with the new technology. Inside the cabs, they are greeted by the familiar, driver-centric cockpit layout and the familiar operating logic, supplemented by typical e-vehicle operating features such as the settings for optimum use of recuperation, which also covers the continuous brake function. This can be operated both via the familiar steering column lever on the right of the steering wheel and via the selectable One-Pedal-Driving mode. Here, recuperation kicks in with increasing intensity the more the driver reduces the pressure on the accelerator pedal. This allows him to sensitively adjust the driving speed without having to use the service brake and at the same time feed kinetic energy from the vehicle back into the batteries in the form of electricity. The completely newly developed fully digital instrument cluster provides information on the state of charge of the batteries, energy consumption and energy recovery.

In an electric vehicle, energy from the batteries is used not only for pure driving, but also for comfort functions such as heating or cooling the driver's cab. To make this as efficient as possible, the vehicle's overall thermal management system intelligently combines the cooling circuits of the cab heating system, the drive unit and the temperature management of the high-voltage batteries to efficiently use excess heat generated during operation for cab heating and only use additional energy from the batteries for this purpose when necessary. This guarantees good temperature control even under winter conditions in all cab sizes. These are fully in line with the range of today's diesel series, with a wide cab for the MAN TGX and a narrower one for the MAN TGS, each available in three versions.

Footage material on the new MAN eTruck is available for download here: https://brandportal.man/share/zuzKiHvqwaGhuk8EfQpA

Following the successful electrification of vans and city buses, MAN Truck & Bus is now also launching sales of the new heavy MAN eTruck at the end of October. According to the company's plans, this should already account for around 50 percent of MAN's new vehicle registrations in the EU by 2030. But in order for the green drive turnaround in the transport industry to succeed, MAN and the German Freight Transport and Logistics Association (BGL) are jointly calling for the accelerated expansion of public charging infrastructure.

The new MAN eTruck will be available to customers in the first European markets from the end of October. But whether and when they switch from diesel to electric drive depends on the existence of the necessary framework conditions - above all, a nationwide charging infrastructure. MAN and the German Association of Freight Transport and Logistics (Bundesverband Güterverkehr und Logistik) are calling for political support in this regard:

"Around 96 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions of our current diesel vehicles are attributable to the use phase. That's why battery-electric drives for commercial vehicles are the decisive key to achieving CO2 reduction targets. But for our customers to switch from diesel to battery-electric trucks, a nationwide charging infrastructure is a basic prerequisite. And here we urgently need a significantly accelerated expansion to at least 4,000 megawatt charging points in Germany and 50,000 high-capacity and megawatt charging points in Europe by 2030. We have done our homework, our e-truck is starting soon to go on sale. Now we urgently need the support of policymakers and the commitment of the energy industry in order to jointly make a success of the traffic turnaround in road freight transport," says Dr. Frederik Zohm, Executive Board Member for Research and Development at MAN Truck & Bus SE.

BGL Board Spokesman Prof. Dr. Dirk Engelhardt adds: "The climate targets in road freight transport can only be achieved if the framework conditions and operating economics are right. In addition to the availability of vehicles with alternative drive systems, these include the widespread availability of charging and, above all, power grid infrastructure, as well as planning and investment security for funding programs for the switch to electromobility.

Stress test in the ice and heat

To ensure that the MAN eTruck is in no way inferior to today's diesel trucks in terms of performance, reliability, and efficiency, it has already undergone extensive durability, load, and safety validations on its way to series production readiness. This also includes many hundreds of thousands of kilometers of road tests, including in the icy cold of the Swedish winter at minus 40 degrees and most recently in the extreme summer heat in southern Spain at plus 40 degrees.

Conditions that place extreme demands on the temperature management of the batteries, the charging management, but also the powertrain components.  In Spain, 40 development experts have now spent ten weeks testing the new MAN eTruck - over 10,000 kilometers, in sometimes extreme topography with numerous inclines and declines, by day and night, in order to meet the demanding and at the same time very different requirements depending on the transport task.

Training of the sales team

In order to be able to provide customers with expert advice on the purchase of an electric truck and answer all related questions on charging infrastructure, suitability for use, and suitable vehicle configuration, MAN is currently preparing its 1,200 European sales staff for the upcoming market launch of the new eTruck. Thanks to its preparation for the future megawatt charging standard, this truck achieves daily ranges of between 600 and 800 kilometers suitable for long-distance transport and thus also easily covers the majority of other typical transport tasks of today's trucks - such as low-noise and emission-free waste disposal in the city or the collection of milk from organic farmers with an electric food tanker.

After vans and city buses, commercial vehicle manufacturer MAN Truck & Bus is now also putting its trucks under electric power. Sales of the new MAN eTruck will start on October 30, with the first units rolling out to selected customers in 2024. The in-house production of battery packs at MAN's Nuremberg site plays an important role in the electrification strategy.

This is where Lord Mayor Marcus König and MAN Board Member for Production Michael Kobriger symbolically broke ground for the start of construction of the new M50 battery building. From 2025, up to 100,000 high-voltage batteries will be manufactured there in large-scale production, in particular for the new MAN eTruck suitable for long-distance transport, but also for powering city buses and, in future, coaches. The tradition-rich Nuremberg engine plant thus plays a central role as MAN's center of excellence for alternative drive technologies.

"The mobility shift toward electrically powered road haulage is changing the entire industry in an unprecedented way. MAN is actively helping to shape the change. Our transformation into a provider of sustainable and intelligent transport solutions is visible everywhere in the Company - especially here in Nuremberg. With the efficient realignment of the company and the sustainable conversion of the entire production network, we have made a major leap toward the future in the last two years. The market launch of our new MAN eTruck now in October is an essential milestone in this regard, and batteries from Nuremberg are the key enabler for its large-scale production from 2025," says Kobriger.

A good two years after the decision was made in favor of Nuremberg as the site for future battery volume production, MAN has started construction of the battery building. Up to now, batteries have been produced at the site in manual small-batch production. In the future, 350 new jobs will be created on a total area of just over 16,000 square meters, as well as intelligently linked assembly and logistics facilities. The development of large-scale battery production, including the new building, involves investments in logistics, infrastructure, buildings and production facilities totaling around 100 million euros.

Strong partnerships pave the way for electromobility

The expertise for the development and production of high-voltage battery packs has already been built up at the Nuremberg site since 2020, and the electric competencies of the employees are being successively expanded within the framework of small-series production and a prototype area. By the end of 2024, the first customer vehicles will still be served from this small series, before the batteries from the new large-scale production will be available from 2025 for the electric truck production in Munich, which will then also be ramped up in large quantities.The new battery-electric drives require increased knowledge and expertise not only in production but also in development. In addition to support and funding from the Free State of Bavaria, MAN's Nuremberg site is building strong partnerships with local universities in the area of research and development. At the beginning of 2023, the "Campus Future Driveline" was inaugurated on the Nuremberg plant site. There, MAN developers are working together with students and professors from the Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) and the Nuremberg University of Technology Georg Simon Ohm (Ohm) on projects in the areas of batteries, hydrogen combustion engines, and fuel cells.

MAN eTruck: Logistics practice already in series development

To ensure that electric trucks can replace today's diesel vehicles as quickly as possible, MAN's top priority is to ensure their unrestricted practicality right from the start of series production. To this end, MAN established its own transport company, LoadFox Transport Solutions GmbH, in December 2022 in order to test and optimize the new technology in real-world operation on common internal plant logistics routes at an early stage. Since the beginning of October, the first fully electric MAN eTrucks have been operating between the German sites in Munich, Dachau, Nuremberg, and Salzgitter. At a later date, transports to the Polish sites in Krakow and Starachowice will be added. In addition to the intensive use of battery-electric vehicles in real factory traffic, LoadFox will also increasingly integrate autonomous driving functions into logistics practice from 2024. "Through the targeted collection of data and experience in practical use, we can significantly accelerate the development and quality checks of hardware and software for future products and services with LoadFox," says Florian Hagemann, Managing Director of LoadFox GmbH, explaining the advantages that result from the innovative concept for product development.

With this fine-tuning from the logistics process, the new MAN eTruck will roll out to the first customers in 2024. Thanks to its preparation for the megawatt charging standard, which is expected to be available from 2025, it will achieve daily ranges of between 600 and 800 kilometers suitable for long-distance transport, and in the future even up to 1,000 kilometers with just one intermediate charge during the driver's 45-minute break from driving. But the new MAN eTruck will also easily cover most of the other typical transport tasks of today's trucks, such as low-noise and emission-free waste disposal in the city or collecting milk from organic farmers with an electric food tanker.

This was the sixth time the Sby Award has been presented since its inception. And as in previous years, the international jury honored only the most innovative and sustainable buses on the European market. One of the award winners is the MAN Lion's City 10 E, which won the "Urban" category, leaving its competitors behind. "We are delighted that the MAN Lion's City 10 E, and thus the youngest model in our MAN electric bus family, has impressed the expert jury and won the Sustainable Bus of the Year 2024 award," said Barbaros Oktay, Head of Bus at MAN Truck & Bus, who accepted the award yesterday (Friday, 6 October) at the "BUSWORLD GRAND INAUGURATION 2023". The "Gala Night" took place at the start of "Busworld Europe" in Brussels. The Sby Award is the first and only European award that recognizes the topic of sustainability specifically for regular-service, intercity and touring buses. "This is precisely why we are particularly proud of the award. After all, it honors our tireless commitment to environmentally friendly solutions and innovative technologies. At the same time, the award shows that the MAN Lion's City 10 E is excellently received as an economical and sustainable vehicle not only by customers and passengers, but also by experts," Oktay made clear.

Finally, the award was presented by a trade press jury representing eight European countries. The jury awarded the prize to the MAN Lion's City 10 E for several reasons: On the one hand, the all-electric city bus covers an important market segment with a very good passenger capacity of up to 80 people. At the same time, its low weight and length of 10.5 meters enable good maneuverability. With its compact dimensions and record-breaking turning circle of 17.2 meters, it is made for use in narrow inner cities and congested urban areas. The Lion's City 10 E - like all other models in the MAN eBus family - is powered by a powerful central electric motor with a peak output of 240 kW. The in-house development of the motor sets MAN apart in the eBus market, where many competitors rely heavily on third-party components, according to the jury's statement. According to the jury, this in-house development not only contributes to the bus's performance, but also underscores MAN's commitment as a pioneer in the field of electric bus technology. This makes the Lion's City 10 E particularly attractive for environmentally conscious local transport operators and a more than deserving winner of the "Sustainable Bus Award".

MAN Lion's City 10 E impresses at trade fairs and in the Dolomites

The Lion's City 10 E already impressed visitors at this year's UITP trade fair in Barcelona. It can now be seen at the MAN stand in Hall 4 at "Busworld Europe" from October 7 to 12. In addition to its sustainability, the compact size of the all-electric city bus, which has been in production at MAN's Polish city bus plant in Starachowice since the beginning of 2023, will attract particular attention. This is because the midibus version can play to its strengths, particularly in the increasing use of customer-oriented "on-demand" services and as an amplifier at high-frequency times, as well as a maneuverable city center shuttle. After all, the city bus has a similar passenger capacity to many 12-meter solo buses, but requires significantly less traffic space and is much more maneuverable. The fact that the MAN Lion's City 10 E is also an ideal solution for demanding routes was recently proven by a practical test through alpine terrain in the South Tyrolean Dolomites. On the 531 km tour, the eBus covered more than 10,000 meters in altitude and consumed an average of 0.77 kWh per kilometer. The Lion's City E achieved these top values in terms of efficiency thanks to innovative technology and a remarkable recuperation rate of over 50 percent.

"In public transport in particular, sustainable solutions are more in demand than ever. Together with partners and customers, we are therefore driving sustainable mobility forward and are committed to the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement," says Barbaros Oktay, adding: "By 2050 at the latest, we want to be greenhouse gas neutral. We are convinced that the future belongs to zero-emission vehicles. That's why we are resolutely pursuing the path toward sustainable local public transport, relying fully on electric drive - and our MAN Lion's City E." But it's not "just" MAN that is backing the all-electric city bus; more and more transport companies throughout Europe are doing so as well. Recently, the 1,000th eBus rolled off the production line.

CO₂ air conditioning system promises greater efficiency and range

It also owes its success to the fact that MAN is continuously working to improve its services and products and is also constantly developing the eBus. "Our focus is always on our customers. Our goal is quite clear: Simplifying customer business through leading sustainable solutions," Barbaros Oktay makes clear. In optimizing the Lion's City E, the focus is therefore clearly on increasing safety and comfort for drivers and passengers, as well as the efficiency of the vehicle. For example, the CO₂ air conditioning system, which now comes as standard, ensures greater sustainability. After all, the system is more environmentally friendly and at the same time significantly more efficient, which can already provide an additional range of up to 25 km in the current Lion's City E.

Using and recycling batteries in a resource-conserving way

Battery technology also plays a central role for MAN in terms of sustainability. The focus here is on issues such as safety, long service life, energy content taking into account weight and space, robustness, and costs, as well as subsequent use and recycling. The aim is to extend the life of batteries in the first step and, when that is no longer possible, to recycle the raw materials they contain. The batteries that come back to MAN after their use in the vehicle are analyzed intensively. In the event that the battery packs can no longer be used as a so-called traction battery, they are put to subsequent use: either as a second use in the vehicle after factory repair (2^nd Use), as a second battery life (2^nd Life). To optimize the recycling rate, MAN relies on a mechanical process followed by hydrometallurgical treatment. "In this way, up to 96 percent of the batteries can be recycled," says Heinz Kiess, Head of Product Marketing Bus at MAN Truck & Bus.

About the Sustainable Bus Award

The aim of the Sustainable Award is to create a positive awareness of sustainability. "And of course we succeed in doing this with such innovative vehicles as the MAN Lion's City 10 E," says Oktay. In particular, aspects such as safety, comfort, noise, recyclability of components, but also the manufacturer's general environmental awareness play a role in the jury's assessment.

Strong together: CO2-free mobility as a goal

"Partnerships with like-minded companies are key to moving forward and making a difference. For MAN, too, CO2-free driving is a core element of its strategy and the handover of the MAN Lion's Explorer E is a milestone along the way," says Alexander Vlaskamp. "Our path leads from low emission to no emission. To achieve this, we are relying entirely on electric mobility in the city bus segment with the Lion's City E in Europe - and worldwide we are doing the same with the Lion's Chassis E. Because our responsibility for sustainable mobility does not end at Europe's borders."

In the case of the eBus for GABS, MAN not only supplied the chassis, but also built the body in line with the customer's wishes, intended use, and market requirements. This was realized at the MAN Bus plant in Olifantsfontein, South Africa. The upstream assembly of the electric high-floor chassis was carried out in conjunction with the second local MAN site in Pinetown, which is particularly sustainable thanks to its climate-neutral production. "We combined the best of two worlds. In this way, we have succeeded in delivering the first electric city bus to be developed and built in South Africa, while at the same time meeting the requirements of our customer on the road to a zero-emission future," said Jan Aichinger at the handover ceremony.

In the future, the Lion's Explorer E will take the residents of Cape Town and its environs safely, comfortably and emission-free to their destinations. Findings and experience from the test operation, which is now beginning, will be used to continuously improve the vehicle. The eBus has four battery packs based on proven NMC technology (lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt battery) with 80 kWh each, giving it a total installed capacity of 320 kWh. An integrated electric motor generates a peak power of up to 240 kW and thus sufficient power for use on the roads of the South African coastal city.

Lion's Explorer 12 E perfectly tailored to the African market

"Electric buses are already on the road in South Africa. However, the special thing about the MAN Lion's Explorer 12 E is that it was developed specifically for use here," Barbaros Oktay makes clear. What's more, the new model is being built entirely in South Africa. "In this way, we can ensure that the eBus perfectly meets the needs of the local transport companies and, at the same time, can also be integrated into existing processes in the best possible way. If this succeeds, electromobility will gain significant momentum in South Africa - we are convinced of this."

MAN Truck & Bus is the market leader in the bus business in South Africa, with a market share of just over 45 percent of bus sales (end of 2022). The goal is to maintain this position in the future with electric drives. "This requires vehicles that have innovative technologies, convincing ranges, and solutions that are tailored to the market and well thought out - like the Lion's Explorer E," says Oktay, adding, "We are doing everything we can to ensure that the new eBus is as well received in South Africa as our Lion's City E is in Europe, with over 1,000 units already produced."

For international markets: Lion's Chassis E on proven technology

The new Lion's Chassis E is a key building block in achieving the company's ambitious goals outside Europe as well. "Because with our electric chassis, we now offer the MAN electric bus solution for international markets. With the chassis, bodybuilders from all over the world get the ideal basis for their all-electric models," says Barbaros Oktay. In this way, MAN can also provide its customers with zero-emission solutions on a global level - as is now the case in South Africa. In a first step, the eChassis will be offered as a two-axle truck for low-floor applications. Versions for low-entry and intercity buses (high floor) are to follow at a later date. To ensure that it can also be used anywhere, there will be a left-hand drive and right-hand drive variant.

For the components for the eChassis, MAN is relying on the technology from the Lion's City E. "Thanks to this technology, which has already proven itself in the field, and our many years of experience in chassis technology, we can offer our customers an innovative and efficient eMobility solution for urban and intercity transport," says Oktay. Following the first handover in South Africa, further "demo buses" based on the Lion's Chassis E are to be delivered in markets outside Europe in the coming months. Series production at MAN's Polish plant in Starachowice is then scheduled to start in 2024.

It is another milestone in an electrifying success story: in mid-September, the 1,000th MAN Lion's City E rolled off the production line at the MAN plant in Starachowice, Poland. In the future, the Lion's City 12 E will take passengers in the greater Madrid area to their destinations safely, comfortably, and sustainably. The eBus was ordered by the transport company Auto Periferia S.A., a subsidiary of the Spanish Grupo Ruiz. "Almost exactly three years ago - at the beginning of October 2020 - series production for our battery-electric city buses successfully started in Starachowice. Since then, more and more eBuses have been reliably rolling off the production line," says Barbaros Oktay, Head of Bus at MAN Truck & Bus, adding, "We have a great team to thank for this, who are tirelessly committed and deliver outstanding work. In addition, our plant in Poland has developed into a center of excellence for electric city buses in recent years." To be able to take this developmental step, MAN Truck & Bus has invested heavily in eMobility and taken great care to prepare its employees and production facilities for the requirements of electric mobility. "With a growing market for eBuses, this was an important investment for us in the future," says Oktay.

Because more and more public transport operators are switching to a completely emission-free bus fleet and relying on fully electric vehicles such as the MAN Lion's City E. The city bus is already operating successfully throughout Europe. Day after day, it impresses operators, drivers and passengers with its reliability, range and comfort. "Orders, such as the current one from Grupo Ruiz, and the demand from our customers clearly show that our Lion's City E is becoming increasingly popular," makes Robert Katzer, Head of Sales & Product Bus at MAN Truck & Bus, clear, adding, "The many follow-up orders in particular prove how satisfied operators are with the vehicle."

Grupo Ruiz - incidentally the first Spanish customer to order MAN electric buses - also already has 20 MAN eBuses in operation, and plans to have 60 vehicles by the end of 2023. In the meantime, however, the company is by no means the only public transport operator in Spain to rely on the MAN Lion's City E - on the contrary: to date, more than 175 MAN eBuses have been ordered for Spanish cities such as Alicante, Badajoz, Bilbao, Cáceres, Leganés, Málaga, Melilla, San Sebastián, and Valencia. The majority of the vehicles are to be delivered and put into service this year. "Especially in the big cities, there is a demand for city buses that are emission-free and quiet on the road - like our eBus," says Katzer.

MAN electrifies Scandinavia: More than 370 eBuses in operation

But it's not "only" in Spain that eBuses are increasingly seen making their rounds in the cities. Scandinavia in particular is regarded as one of the pioneers when it comes to electromobility. This is also reflected in the order figures: By the end of 2023, more than 370 electrically powered MAN city buses are expected to be in operation here. The latest orders include 45 MAN Lion's City 12 E buses ordered by VIKINGBUS Danmark A/S. In the future, the transport company will operate routes in Copenhagen as well as in Frederiksberg, Lyngby, Greve, and Høje Taastrup in Denmark. Anchersen A/S had already ordered 25 eBuses from MAN in 2021, which are now in use on the central Copenhagen bus route 7A. "But our MAN Lion's City E has also been excellently received in Norway and Sweden. For example, the Norwegian transport operator Unibuss, among others, has ordered 76 MAN Lion's City E from us," says Katzer.

MAN Truck & Bus already received its first eBus order at the end of 2019 - a year before the start of production: Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein (VHH) ordered 17 MAN Lion's City E. Since then, VHH has been consistently pursuing its path toward a completely zero-emission bus fleet. The next order covered a further 20 electric buses. In 2022, VHH opted for eBuses from MAN for the third time: the order included 30 eSolobuses and 6 eArticulated buses. The latest order from this year includes the delivery of up to 100 more electric buses by MAN Truck & Bus.

European eBus market grows by 45% in HY1 2023: MAN second largest supplier

Across Europe, the market for electric buses grew by 45% in the first half of 2023. A total of 2,567 battery-electric buses were registered during the period, according to Chatrou CME Solutions. This means that more than one in three new city buses (37.5 percent) in Europe is now emission-free. With 260 eBuses, MAN Truck & Bus ranks second in terms of new registrations in Europe. And MAN eBuses are also proving extremely popular in the German market: Of the 297 new electric buses registered in Germany in the first six months of this year, 63 were from MAN. "We are very pleased about this great success," explains Barbaros Oktay and goes on to say, "But we want to put even significantly more electric buses on the road. By 2025, half of our new city buses will be electric, and just five years later, up to 90 percent of our buses in Europe will be battery-powered. We also have our sights set on the electrification of intercity buses and coaches."

Sustainable mobility: focus on environmental and climate protection

MAN is driving forward sustainable mobility together with partners and customers to take account of environmental and climate protection. "We are fully committed to the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. In addition, we are genuinely committed to acting responsibly and making a positive contribution to society," Oktay said. The company therefore aims to become greenhouse gas neutral in terms of its balance sheet by 2050 at the latest. To achieve its ambitious climate targets, MAN Truck & Bus is focusing primarily on the electrification of the products it sells, which are responsible for around 97% of the company's CO2 emissions. "On our way to zero emissions, we are relying fully on electric drive in the bus business. To this end, we are consistently converting our portfolio in the city bus and intercity segment to electric vehicles over the next few years," Oktay makes clear. Incidentally, MAN is also focusing on battery-electric drives because the vehicles are economically convincing. "BEV simply offers the best TCO for our customers. That's why we're also focusing on the electric variant for coaches in the next step."

The high-voltage batteries for the electric buses and trucks will be mass-produced in Nuremberg from the beginning of 2025. MAN is investing around 100 million euros in this over the next five years. The aim is to expand production capacity to over 100,000 batteries per year. In this way, MAN is laying the foundations for the industrialization of electric drives. This is because they could be used to equip around 15,000 to 25,000 eBuses or eTrucks - depending on the configuration. In addition, the charging infrastructure is to be expanded as part of the Milence joint venture, which the TRATON Group founded together with Daimler Truck and the Volvo Group: The plan is to set up at least 1,700 high-performance charging points at or near freeways and logistics hubs across Europe in the next few years. "It is important to us to advance electromobility, put outstanding eVehicles suitable for everyday use on the road, and offer our customers innovative technology. To make this happen, we are working on a wide range of different levers and giving our best every day," says Oktay.

MAN Truck & Bus is accelerating its transformation and taking major steps towards emission-free drives. In the case of commercial vehicles, the focus is clearly on battery-electric drives. For MAN Engines – a business unit of MAN Truck & Bus – the decision to decarbonize special applications is the same: "Our goal is to transform our portfolio so that we offer our customers solutions in agricultural and construction technology, for watercraft and in power generation that do not release CO2 locally," says Mikael Lindner, Head of MAN Engines.

MAN Engines' customers come from very heterogeneous industries such as commercial shipping, agricultural machinery and power generation. This means different requirements for the drives, different availability of fuels and different available installation space for energy storage. In the medium and long term, therefore, a wide range of drive concepts will be available. "In the future, MAN Engines will be relying on pure combustion engines for hydrogen and regenerative fuels, battery storage systems and also complete electric drive systems to meet the various requirements in order to operate vehicles and machines locally with the lowest CO2 emissions," explains Mikael Lindner.

MAN Engines already offers a wide range of products that take into account the requirements of the industry and at the same time take advantage of opportunities to reduce CO2 emissions. "We have already presented and are also using solutions that contribute to decarbonization. We see the bridging technologies available today as an opportunity for the energy transition that takes into account the framework conditions of the market," says Lindner. These available technologies include stationary biogas engines, hybrid and dual-fuel engines, and the release of engines for the use of renewable and alternative fuels.

MAN Engines envisions the following technologies in its portfolio in the short, medium or long term to support customers in decarbonizing their products:

Battery storage and integrated e-drive systems: In Nuremberg, battery packs will be manufactured in in-house large-scale production. In addition to their use in the Group's own vehicles, these batteries and electric powertrains will also be available to OEM manufacturers of agricultural and construction machinery as well as watercraft in the future. In the area of electricity storage, in addition to the use of new products (1st Life), the secondary use of batteries (2nd Life) also comes into play.

Hydrogen combustion engines: The hydrogen combustion engine can be a supplement or alternative to battery-electric drives in applications with high flexibility requirements - for example, where the charging infrastructure is inadequate. This can be, for example, in the maritime or off-road sector, but also stationary for combined heat and power. The picture shows the H3268 stationary hydrogen engine for combined heat and power, which has been on the test bench since the beginning of May.

Hybrid systems: The MAN Smart HYBRID Experience was presented for the first time in 2021 for yacht applications. Because it can be combined with all MAN marine engines of the current D2862 (V12), D2868 (V8) and D2676 (R6) series, engines for light, medium and heavy applications in commercial shipping can also be expanded in terms of performance. This means that total system outputs per powertrain from 147 kW to 1,838 kW (200 hp to 2,500 hp) can be achieved and hybridization levels of up to 71 percent of the total output can be achieved. The high-voltage battery of the plug-in hybrid system is charged via the integrated shore connection or by the diesel engines or on-board units while driving. The MAN Smart HYBRID Experience enables driving and anchoring without any emissions in battery-electric mode.

Hydrogen dual-fuel engines: The world's first hydrogen-powered crew transfer vessel for offshore wind farms was launched on May 10, 2022. What's special about it is that the "Hydrocat 48" from the Dutch shipyard Windcat Workboats uses two tried-and-tested MAN D2862 marine engines, which are usually powered by hydrogen. They were prepared by MAN Engines for dual-fuel operation, i.e. for the use of two different types of fuel, and supplemented with a hydrogen injection system. The use of hydrogen reduces CO2 emissions in the exhaust gas by an average of about 50% and even up to 80% as a peak value. It is not necessary to optimize conventional marine engines for hydrogen.

Regenerative diesel/HVO: Marine and off-road engines are approved for use with regenerative diesel – also known as HVO (hydrogenated vegetable oil). Customers can use it to replace – or mix – conventional diesel fuel and use MAN engines with so-called green or renewable diesel. This is obtained on the basis of waste and residues of animal and plant origin, cellulosic biomass materials such as crop residues, among others. HVO saves up to 90% of greenhouse gas emissions in the exhaust gas compared to conventional diesel.

Customer Service: In addition to MAN Engines products, the international network of service companies and partners also plays a key role on the road to decarbonisation. More than 1,650 service outlets ensure regular engine maintenance. These ensure cleaner combustion and thus reduce the risk of increased fuel consumption. MAN Engines offers one way to conserve resources through the sustainable reconditioning of used parts such as coolant pumps, flywheels or cylinder heads. However, complete engines are also remanufactured in a separate business unit of MAN Truck & Bus. This conserves important resources by reusing old parts. Added to this is the energy saved – and thus also CO2 – through reprocessing instead of new production.

Short wheelbase and small turning circle

With a length of 10.5 metres, a wheelbase of 4.4 metres and a record-breaking turning circle of 17.2 metres, the “midibus” is made for the narrow and winding roads in the South Tyrolean mountains. Uphill, the electric bus, equipped with five battery packs on the roof, pulls relentlessly and whisper-quietly, thanks to the immediate full torque. When going downhill, plenty of energy flows back into the bus thanks to recuperation. The MAN Lion’s City 10 E is fitted with the company’s tried-and-tested lithium-ion batteries. There is room for four or five battery packs on the roof of the bus. When fully loaded, 400 kilowatt-hours of energy are available. The bus then has a range of up to 300 kilometres, delivers a peak output of 240 kW and a maximum torque of 2,100 Newton-metres. A maximum of 33 people can be seated in the e-bus, up to a total of 80 passengers. The new “midibus” is powered by the same MAN electric central engine as the other Lion’s City E models.

“Good chassis set-up, direct steering behaviour”

During the field test, the vehicle travels over countless hairpin bends into the Gardena Valley, up to the Gardena Pass, on to the Valparola Pass, picturesque Meransen and, after a short detour over the Brenner Pass, back to the starting point in Klausen. The manoeuvrability of the MAN Lion’s City 10 E is due not only to its short wheelbase and small turning circle, but also to its sophisticated chassis with independent suspension and 56-degree steering angle. “The excellent chassis set-up, direct steering behaviour as well as shortened distance between the axles bring great advantages on this route. The bus is very manoeuvrable, and the three tonnes of batteries is hardly noticeable in cornering situations,” explains driving expert Heinrich Degenhart from MAN ProfiDrive. And when things get particularly tight and twisty, the small electric bus is helped by modern safety systems such as ESP, active warning turn assist, daylight-bright LED headlights or the optional camera-based MAN OptiView mirror replacement system.

Downhill recuperation brings back large amounts of energy

The drive up the Gardena Pass (2,121 metres) is particularly twisty, and here, the “midibus” shows all its skills, taking on every hairpin, no matter how tight, with effortless ease. On the following nine-kilometre descent to Corvara, the bus recuperates large amounts of energy, such that its battery is almost fully charged again – with peak charging values of over 200 kW. After three days of testing and a total of 531 kilometres of driving with countless bends – with the lowest point is at 523 metres (Klausen), the highest at 2,168 metres (Passo Valparola) – there is almost no difference in energy consumption on this uphill and downhill journey compared to a classic public transport round trip on level ground: it averages 0.77 kilowatt hours (kWh) per kilometre at the finish. “Outstanding value and the combination of compactness and performance totally convinced me. Our MAN Lion’s City 10 E is the perfect solution for narrow and challenging routes, whilst providing comfort for the passengers,” says Stephan Rudnitzky, Launch Manager MAN Lion’s City 10 E.

Efficient and reliable

The MAN Lion’s City 10 E masters this demanding route, past rugged mountain ranges and lush green alpine meadows, efficiently and reliably. And proves to be a fully-fledged member of the family – after all, its big brother the MAN Lion’s City 12 E completed the roughly 2,500-kilometre route from Munich to Limerick in Ireland like it was on rails during the “Electrifying Europe Tour 2022”. “After this demanding tour of the Dolomites, I am completely satisfied with our new MAN Lion’s City 10 E. The bus meets all the criteria we envisaged when we developed it. It is efficient, comfortable, extremely manoeuvrable and therefore the perfect companion on demanding routes,” sums up Heinz Kiess, Head of Product Marketing Bus at MAN Truck & Bus.

The switch to electromobility in local public transport is clearly gaining momentum in Spain - also thanks to innovative solutions and comprehensive consulting such as that offered by the MAN team together with the local experts at MAN Truck & Bus Iberia. The company has thus become one of the leading suppliers on the Spanish market. Over 175 MAN eBuses have already been ordered by transport operators from all over Spain. The majority of the vehicles are to be delivered and put into operation this year. "With the MAN Lion's City E we are offering a city bus that has been developed from the ground up for electric mobility and is precisely tailored to the needs of our customers," says Robert Katzer, Head of Sales & Product Bus at MAN Truck & Bus, adding: "Our eBuses delight drivers, operators and passengers with their comfort, reliability, range and sustainability - the latter being particularly relevant in large cities. Vehicles that are emission-free and quiet on the road are in demand here."

Making mobility sustainable was and is also a topic that drives those responsible for the Spanish cities of Alicante, Badajoz, Bilbao, Cáceres, Leganés, Málaga, Melilla, San Sebastián and Valencia. This is one of the reasons why they are relying on MAN eBuses, which are expected to be making their rounds there as early as 2023. Overall, as a result of the increase in electromobility in Spain, more than half of the newly registered vehicles in urban areas will have an electric drive by the end of the year. This year alone, as many electric buses will be registered in the country as in the previous five years combined.

MAN eBus already impressed in field test in Badajoz in 2020

The Lion's City E had its first deployment in Spain three years ago and already caused a stir back then: in 2020, it completed a test deployment in Badajoz and delivered outstanding results. In challenging temperatures of over 35 degrees, the battery-electric city bus completed a full 16-hour shift in the university city and covered the entire line with a distance of over 300 km. At the end of the day, the bus even had enough charge left. "Since then, the MAN Lion's City E has shown on many assignments throughout Europe how well it can adapt to the situation and that its range is more than sufficient," says Robert Katzer. With the range of up to 350 km offered by MAN, around 90 percent of urban transport routes in Spain can be electrified with eBuses - a percentage that will continue to rise as development and the associated increase in efficiency continue.

360°consulting and digital solutions for the switch to eMobility

In addition to future-proof vehicles, MAN Truck & Bus also focuses on all-round consulting for customers and smart digital services for the switch to electric mobility. The MAN Transport Solutions team offers customers in many sectors support in converting their fleets to zero-emission vehicles. In doing so, the entire process of the changeover is considered with a 360° analysis. The aim is to ensure that the changeover is successful and involves as little effort as possible for the operators. But even after the switch to electric vehicles, MAN experts are there to support customers with expertise and digital tools. With the MAN eManager as a smart digital central command system, fleet managers have battery, room temperature and other vehicle parameters conveniently under control from their desks. In line with the motto "Simplifying Business", charging management for the electric fleet becomes more transparent, simpler and more efficient thanks to targeted monitoring and flexible remote operation. MAN eManager also guarantees high vehicle availability and ensures that the charging status of the batteries always matches the timetable.

They are very popular: eBuses. More and more public transport operators are converting to a completely emission-free bus fleet and relying on fully electric vehicles such as the MAN Lion's City E. For example, Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein GmbH (VHH) recently awarded a framework contract for up to 100 MAN Lion's City 12 E - the fourth time it has opted for MAN eBuses. "We are very pleased about such follow-up orders. After all, they clearly show how satisfied the company is with our innovative and reliable electric vehicles," says Robert Katzer, Head of Sales & Product Bus at MAN Truck & Bus. The company has been ordering exclusively buses with zero-emission drives for its Hamburg service area since 2020. The first 48 eBuses from the new framework agreement with MAN are to be delivered as early as the turn of the year 2023/2024.

MAN Truck & Bus electrifies Scandinavia

But it is not "only" in Hamburg that eBuses are increasingly being seen making their rounds in the cities. Scandinavia in particular is considered one of the pioneers when it comes to electromobility. This is also reflected in the order figures: By the end of 2023, more than 370 electrically powered MAN city buses are to be in operation here. One of the latest orders is for 45 MAN Lion's City 12 E buses from VIKINGBUS Danmark A/S. The transport company will in future operate routes in Copenhagen as well as on Frederiksberg, in Lyngby, Greve and Høje Taastrup in Denmark. Anchersen A/S had already ordered 25 eBuses from MAN in 2021, which are now in use on the central Copenhagen bus route 7A. "But our MAN Lion's City E has also been excellently received in Norway and Sweden. The Norwegian transport operator Unibuss, for example, has ordered 76 MAN Lion's City E from us," says Katzer.

eBus market to grow by 26 percent in Europe in 2022

Across Europe, the market for electric buses grew by 26 percent last year. This means that almost every third newly registered city bus in Europe is now emission-free. MAN Truck & Bus is also consistently pursuing the path towards sustainable local public transport and is fully committed to electric drive. "In order to successfully follow this path, we are making our employees fit for the new technology and advising our customers on the changeover," says Robert Katzer, adding: "With the MAN Lion's City E, we also already have a very successful eBus series in our portfolio."

Well over 1,000 orders have already been received for the MAN electric bus, whose series production started in 2020. Since then, it has been impressing entrepreneurs as well as bus drivers and passengers with its range, reliability, sustainability and comfort. Day after day, around 450 MAN eBuses in regular service throughout Europe are already proving how powerful, suitable for everyday use and reliable modern electric vehicles are. "One thing is certain, however: we want to put significantly more electric buses on the road. By 2025, half of our new city buses will be electric, and just five years later, up to 90 percent of our buses in Europe will be battery-powered. We also have our sights set on the electrification of intercity buses and coaches," says Barbaros Oktay, Head of Bus at MAN Truck & Bus.

Focus on environmental and climate protection

Together with partners and customers, MAN wants to drive forward sustainable mobility in order to take environmental and climate protection into account. "It is a real concern for us to act responsibly and make a positive contribution to society," says Oktay. Therefore, the company aims to become greenhouse gas neutral in terms of its balance sheet by 2050 at the latest. In order to achieve its ambitious climate targets, MAN Truck & Bus is focusing primarily on the electrification of the products it sells, which are responsible for around 97% of the company's CO₂ emissions - and with success: eBus orders more than tripled in 2022 compared to 2021. Overall, the share of eBuses sold was around twelve percent of the city buses sold by MAN in Europe. In concrete terms, this means that MAN already delivered every eighth city bus in Europe as a battery-powered variant last year. In terms of electromobility, the bus business is thus also seen as a forerunner for the heavy-duty eTrucks, whose production start in Munich is planned for 2024.

The high-voltage batteries for the electric buses and trucks will be mass-produced in Nuremberg from the beginning of 2025. MAN is investing around 100 million euros in this over the next five years. The goal is to expand production capacities to over 100,000 batteries per year. In addition, the charging infrastructure is to be expanded as part of the TRATON Group's Milence joint venture with other industry partners: It is planned to set up at least 1,700 high-performance charging points at or near motorways as well as logistics hubs across Europe in the next few years.

MAN Lion's City E convinces operators and experts alike

"Our main focus is definitely on advancing electromobility, and to achieve this we are working on a wide variety of levers: whether it's employee training, all-round advice for private customers and transport operators, investments in battery production or the constant further development of our MAN Lion's City E," says Barbaros Oktay and adds: "From the very beginning it was clear to us that we would develop our eBus in close cooperation with our customers, but also constantly optimise it. Our goal was and is to offer the best electric city bus on the market. The fact that our efforts have been rewarded by the market and many experts is a great success. Just last year, for example, our Lion's City E was crowned 'Bus of the Year 2023' by the international 'Bus & Coach of the Year' jury."

Sustainable solutions in public transport are more in demand than ever. The Paris Climate Agreement demands that global warming be limited to well below two degrees. In addition, Europe is to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. "The climate crisis is considered one of the biggest and most important challenges facing the global community and poses major challenges for politicians, transport operators and also for us," says Barbaros Oktay, Head of Bus at MAN Truck & Bus, and adds: "We at MAN are convinced that the future belongs to emission-free vehicles. That's why we are consistently moving towards sustainable public transport and are fully committed to electric drive - and our MAN Lion's City E."

In keeping with this, MAN Truck & Bus will be showing the Lion's City 10 E, the latest model in the MAN electric bus family, at this year's UITP Global Public Transport Summit, which is taking place in Barcelona from 4 to 7 June. The midibus version with a length of 10.5 metres, which has been in production at MAN's Polish city bus plant in Starachowice since the beginning of 2023, can be seen in Hall 6, Stand 6A100. Among other things, the compact size of the all-electric city bus will attract attention. This is because it can play to its strengths especially in the increasing use of customer-oriented "on-demand" services and as an amplifier at high-frequency times as well as a manoeuvrable city centre shuttle. After all, the city bus has a similar passenger capacity to many 12-metre solo buses, but requires significantly less traffic space in narrow city centres and depots and is also much more manoeuvrable.

MAN Lion's City E is "Bus of the Year 2023"

The Lion's City 10 E is based on the construction kit of its big brother, the Lion's City 12 E, which 23 European trade journalists voted international "Bus of the Year 2023" last year in Limerick, Ireland. They were particularly enthusiastic about the overall concept of the city bus, which scores points for its range, reliability, comfort and, above all, sustainability. It is precisely this overall concept that makes the MAN eBus, which is also available in an 18-metre version, so popular with operators, drivers and passengers. In the meantime, it is successfully in use all over Europe.

Incidentally, the width, height and overhangs of the Lion's City 10 E have remained unchanged compared to the Lion's City 12 E, as has the concept of the engine tower-free rear, which provides four more seats (maximum 33 seats and 80 passengers in total) than the few competitors in the segment. The body was "shortened" exclusively between the axles, where a window module was removed. The result: the overall length was reduced to 10.5 metres and around 350 kilograms of weight were saved. Despite this significant shortening, there is still room for a wheelchair or pram in the standing platform. A third door is also possible, with which there are still 29 seats available and the passenger flow is once again significantly improved.

360°consultation and digital services for the switch to eMobility

In addition to future-proof vehicles, MAN Truck & Bus also relies on a highly qualified team of more than 75 eMobility experts throughout Europe and employee training courses with a focus on new technologies as well as all-round consultation for customers switching to eMobility. Since 2018, the MAN Transport Solutions team has been offering customers in many industries support in converting their fleets to zero-emission vehicles. This involves looking at the entire process of the changeover with a 360° analysis. The aim is to ensure the changeover to electromobility is successful and with as little effort as possible for the operators. In total, the team has already successfully completed more than 250 projects in 19 European countries in the truck, bus and van sectors, building up an enormous amount of know-how in the process.

But even after the switch to e-vehicles, the experts at MAN are still there to support customers with expertise and digital tools. With the MAN eManager as a smart digital central command system, fleet managers have battery, room temperature and other vehicle parameters conveniently under control from their desks. In line with the motto "Simplifying Business", charging management for the electric fleet becomes more transparent, simpler and more efficient thanks to targeted monitoring and flexible remote operation. MAN eManager also guarantees high vehicle availability and ensures that the charging status of the batteries always matches the timetable.

MAN pushes automation of buses

Another topic that plays an essential role in the transformation of the transport sector at the UITP Summit is automation. "The fact that urban bus mobility in the future will not only be emission-free and connected, but also automated, is not a general question, but merely a question of time," says Barbaros Oktay. MAN Truck & Bus is therefore pushing ahead with the automation of its buses. Together with Mobileye, the specialist for autonomous driving technology, MAN is consistently pursuing its roadmap, at the end of which is highly automated driving in city buses that is ready for series production. The first joint goal of MAN and Mobileye: the pilot operation of the first automated city bus with a safety driver is planned from 2025 as part of the MINGA research project in Munich. Dr Michael Roth, Head of Product Strategy Bus at MAN, will also talk about automation. As part of the conference programme at the UITP Summit, he will speak on the topic of "MAN's journey towards automated city buses". The lecture will take place on 5 June from 10 to 11.15 a.m. in Spotlight Forum B in Hall 6.

About the UITP Global Public Transport Summit

The UITP Global Public Transport Summit is the world's largest event dedicated to sustainable urban mobility, bringing together all transport modes, authorities and operators, as well as exhibitors. This year's event is themed "Bright Light of the City". The congress, lectures and exhibition will focus on the latest innovations, solutions and products. "It is a real concern of ours to advance the topic of sustainable mobility. That's why we are making our employees fit for the new technology, consulting our customers on how to make the switch and, with the MAN Lion's City E, we already have a very successful eBus series in our portfolio," says Robert Katzer, Head of Product & Sales Bus at MAN Truck & Bus, adding: "We are delighted that the UITP Summit offers us the perfect platform to showcase our innovative and future-proof solutions."

With the cooperation, MAN Truck & Bus is intensifying the automation of the city bus. Drivers for automated driving in the city bus sector are mainly high TCO savings and the shortage of driving personnel, which can be countered by this. At the same time, more and more smaller means of transport, starting with passenger cars, are starting to enter the market with highly automated driving. Highly automated driverless solutions in urban areas have a significantly improved economic efficiency compared to driver-assisted offers and provide safe and reliable mobility for its users. In addition, with largely automated, connected and emission-free urban transport, city dwellers benefit from better air quality, less congestion and noise, and the gain of living space that is no longer needed for parking.

Smart cooperation with a clear roadmap

The cooperation between MAN Truck & Bus and Mobileye will decisively drive further development. With Mobileye Drive™, the expert for autonomous vehicles has developed a turnkey self-driving system that is ready for scalable commercial use and has a sophisticated sensor system. It also features "safety by design" and the use of highly scalable AV maps. Mobileye will provide the Mobileye Drive™ intelligent Automated Driving System (ADS) along the planned roadmap. Meanwhile, MAN will create the necessary vehicle architecture to meet bus automation requirements.

"We are excited about the future collaboration with MAN Truck & Bus. We care about sustainable mobility solutions in both the private and public sectors and see autonomous vehicle technologies as an important contribution to making public transport safer, more efficient and more accessible. MAN Truck & Bus and Mobileye share a clear vision for autonomous mobility of the future, which is underlined by this cooperation," says Johann Jungwirth, Senior Vice President, Autonomous Vehicles at Mobileye.

Another task for MAN is to integrate the autonomous vehicles into a comprehensive ecosystem. After all, the automation of the bus in the complex urban environment means more than just the driving function: just think of other activities of the driving personnel such as communication with passengers including ticket sales, behaviour at the bus stop, de-escalation in conflict situations or also the reaction to unexpected events such as diversions or accidents. This requires intelligent solutions, which can be found above all through the increasing possibilities in the area of digitalisation.

The first automated MAN bus of the type Lion's City E is to prove itself in Munich's city traffic from as early as 2025, accompanied by a safety driver. It is to be used on bus route 144 through the Olympic Park, which is characterised by tourism and leisure, as part of the MINGA research project. In the project, which is led by the Mobility Department (Mobilitätsreferat) of the City of Munich and funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV), MAN and numerous other project partners from industry, science, administration and associations are working, among other things, on the integration of automated vehicles into the existing mobility ecosystem. Subsequently, MAN Truck & Bus is planning further pilots in actual customer use and, in perspective, full series production by the end of the decade. The fact that Germany was the first country in the world to create the legal framework for autonomous driving is a decisive advantage in this respect.

Further information on Mobileye: http://www.mobileye.com.

The hydrogen engine on the test bench is an eight-cylinder MAN H3268 V-engine with a bore of 132 mm and a stroke of 157 mm. As a stationary engine for combined heat and power generation, it is the first test bench variant to be operated at a constant speed of 1,500 rpm at 50 Hz, which is primarily intended for Eurasian target markets. In general, there are numerous parallels between the MAN E3268 V8 natural gas engine presented at Agritechnica ten years ago and the new MAN H3268. Both combustion engines are based on the same basic engine, which has been used in many thousands of natural gas and special gas engines for years. Among other things, the turbocharging, the injectors and the mixture preparation will be adapted for operation with hydrogen. "Thanks to the similar geometry and identical connections of our future hydrogen engines, we can already offer our customers products that are H2-ready. In this way, we are simplifying the conversion of existing plants from operation with natural gas to hydrogen," says Jürgen Haberland, Head of Power MAN Engines.

In terms of performance, the development goal of the MAN H3268 is also based on the size of the MAN E3268 natural gas engine, which offers 370 kWmech. MAN Engines is thus continuing to consistently pursue its philosophy of high power density, i.e. providing high performance in a compact installation space. "We are aiming for a similar performance class for the hydrogen engine as for our natural gas engine. In principle, we are improving our existing natural gas engine by redesigning it into a hydrogen engine. Powered by green hydrogen, it produces electricity and heat with high efficiencies in a 100% CO2-neutral manner," says Head of Development Kübler.

MAN Engines currently offers gas engines for power and heat generation with four, six, eight and twelve cylinders from 50 to 735 kW for power and heat generation. "With the V8, we have deliberately chosen the middle of our service portfolio in order to be able to scale up and down a possible portfolio of stationary hydrogen engines from the center in a balanced manner."  Haberland explains. While MAN Truck & Bus' Group strategy focuses on battery-electric drives for commercial vehicles, hydrogen represents a possible solution for a wide range of applications at the MAN Engines business unit: The twelve-cylinder MAN D2862 V-engine has been in use as a hydrogen dual-fuel engine on a wind farm supply ship for over a year. As a pure hydrogen combustion engine, the MAN H4576 in-line six-cylinder engine is being modified for off-road applications and is already planned as a possible, CO2-neutral drive option for Kässbohrer's PistenBully 800. The MAN H4576 is a transfer of know-how from the "Bavarian Fleet" research project, in which a comparable hydrogen engine for trucks is being tested on the road.

The population in Munich and the neighbouring districts has increased significantly in recent years. Parallel to this, the volume of traffic in the city has also increased. In order to meet this mobility challenge, new public transport services are needed - in addition to the classic scheduled services, also "on-demand" services that transport passengers comfortably and without transfers.

However, the expansion of public transport services is difficult to finance due to rising costs. In addition, the nationwide driver shortage limits the possible extension. Both problems can be solved with automated city buses: The intelligent technology not only reduces the need for personnel - the total cost of ownership (TCO) can also be reduced by up to 50 percent.

MAN Truck & Bus identified this potential at an early stage and has therefore been working intensively on the automation of its buses for years. To this end, they are equipped with an intelligent Automated Driving System (ADS) with highly developed sensor technology. MAN has already successfully tested the automated approach to bus stops in the "@CITY" project.

MINGA (Munich's Automated Local Transport with Ridepooling, Solobus and Bus-Platoons) is pursuing a similar goal. The project partners want to test the operation of highly automated modes of transport in the urban and rural public transport system. For this purpose, a ride pool with three to five automated vehicles will be set up for on-demand operation, and the scheduled operation of an automated solo bus is also planned.

Automated Lion's City E on Munich bus route

MAN is a commercial vehicle partner of the operating company Stadtwerke München (SWM) and is providing an automated and fully electric MAN Lion's City E. It will be used on bus route 144 through the Olympic Park, which is characterised by tourism and leisure. Pilot operation of this first automated city bus from MAN accompanied by a safety driver is planned from 2025. "Sustainability is a central part of our corporate strategy," says Barbaros Oktay, Head of Bus at MAN Truck & Bus. "That is why, on the one hand, we are consistently transforming our products to electric drives. On the other hand, we are pushing ahead with automation and digitalisation. The MINGA project is an important step for us on the way to the mobility transition."

Around a dozen project partners from the fields of public administration, research, business and industry are working together on the MINGA project. The mobility department of the City of Munich is responsible for the overall project as consortium leader. In addition to MAN, project partners include the University of Stuttgart, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, the Research Centre for Information Technology (FZI) as well as ioki GmbH, Ebusco Deutschland GmbH, Benz + Walter GmbH and Fryce GmbH Partner. The Pfennigparade Foundation, the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV), Yunex Traffic and the district of Munich are involved as associated partners.

In six work packages, they are dealing with, among other things, the integration of automated vehicles into the existing mobility ecosystem, on-demand services, automated bus route operation and the simulation of automated public transport. The project, which has now been launched, is scheduled to run until December 2025. It is being funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) with around 13 million euros as part of the funding guideline "Autonomous and Connected Driving in Public Transport".

Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein GmbH (VHH) is consistently moving towards a completely emission-free bus fleet. Since 2020, the company has been ordering only buses with zero-emission drives for its Hamburg service area. And with its latest order, it is also making a clear commitment to its sustainability goals: VHH is now ordering up to 100 electric buses from MAN Truck & Bus. With the framework agreement for the delivery of the Lion's City 12 E, MAN was able to win four of eight lots in VHH's current eBus tender. "We are very pleased that VHH has once again opted for buses from MAN. After all, it shows how satisfied the company is with our innovative and reliable electric vehicles," says Friedrich Baumann, Executive Board Member for Sales and Customer Solutions at MAN Truck & Bus.

VHH has already called for the first 48 eBuses from the new framework agreement with MAN. Delivery of the vehicles is scheduled for the turn of the year 2023/2024. "We have a clear vision in mind: in the 2030s, we want to be locally emission-free on the road in the Hamburg metropolitan region. Innovative vehicles are an important building block in this process. We are working very intensively with all the manufacturers who supply us. Topics such as availability and range have gained momentum. We are looking forward to continuing on this path together," says VHH Managing Director Dr Lorenz Kasch.

At the end of 2019, the transport company had ordered the first 17 MAN Lion's City 12 E vehicles. The next order was for a further 20 electric buses. In 2022, VHH opted for MAN eBuses for the third time: the order included 30 electric solo buses and 6 electric articulated buses.

Passengers reach their destination comfortably, quietly and environmentally friendly

The MAN eBuses that have now been called up, with a length of 12 metres, have three doors that ensure passengers can get on and off quickly and comfortably. The vehicles are each equipped with six battery packs with a total output of 480 kilowatt hours. The particularly sustainable CO₂ air conditioning system ensures pleasant temperatures at all times of the year. It has several advantages: it is more environmentally friendly and at the same time significantly more efficient, which also has a positive effect on the range. The compact rooftop unit is operated with climate-neutral carbon dioxide (R744) instead of the conventional refrigerant R134a. "Thanks to their sustainability, comfort and generous space, the eBuses encourage people to use public transport. After all, they enable them to get to their destination in an environmentally friendly, comfortable and particularly quiet way," says Heinz Kiess, Head of Product Marketing Bus at MAN Truck & Bus.

Share of electric buses is rising steadily in Europe

But it is by no means "only" in Hamburg that eBuses are being well received. Last year, the market for electric buses in Europe grew by 26 percent to 4,152 registered units. In 2021, there were 3,282 units, which corresponds to a growth of 48 percent compared to 2020. A total of 30 percent of the European city bus market is now emission-free. (Source: Chatrou CME Solutions).

It is also making a significant contribution to the success of electromobility in many European cities: the MAN Lion's City E. The MAN all-electric bus went into series production in 2020 and to date a total of well over 1,000 orders have been received. Operators, bus drivers and passengers are enthusiastic about the range, reliability, comfort and sustainability of the locally emission-free vehicle. Last year, in 2022, the share of eBuses sold was around twelve percent of the city buses sold by MAN in Europe (EU 27+3). "However, our goal is quite clearly to put even more electric buses on the road: By 2025, half of our new city buses will be powered locally emission-free. And we expect that just five years later, 90 per cent of our buses will be battery-powered," says Kiess. "The feedback from the market and from experts is excellent."

MAN Lion's City E named "Bus of the Year 2023"

This is how the international "Bus and Coach of the Year" jury chose the eBus as "Bus of the Year 2023". "MAN has focused on electromobility from the very first design sketch and translated it into a product suitable for everyday use. The result is not a 'diesel bus converted to electric drive' - everything simply fits together," said jury president Tom Terjesen. Another outstanding aspect was the fact that the experts at MAN Truck & Bus are continuously working on the further development and improvement of the all-electric Lion's City E. Their goal: to support public transport operators in their daily work in the best possible way with sophisticated technology and individual solutions.

A great start to the year for the latest model in the MAN electric bus family: at the National Transport Awards in Madrid in January, the MAN Lion's City 10 E received the "Bus of the Year in Spain 2023" award. The all-electric midibus was selected as the award winner by a jury of professionals and industry experts from Spain - including numerous managers from public transport and bus companies. "The jury members know from experience what makes the markets tick, how important the topic of sustainability is and which vehicles perfectly meet the needs of companies, drivers and passengers. That's why the award has a particularly high significance for us," says Stéphane de Creisquer, Managing Director of MAN Truck & Bus Iberia, and adds: "We are proud to have received this prestigious award. It spurs us on to continue supporting our customers with innovative solutions and vehicles."

The National Transport Awards are organised by the trade magazines "Transporte 3" and "Viajeros". Last year, two buses from MAN were in the running: The NEOPLAN Cityliner Platinum special model and the new MAN Lion's Intercity LE were voted "Coach of the Year in Spain 2022" and "Bus of the Year in Spain 2022". And in 2020 the Lion's City 12 E received the title of "Bus of the Year in Spain". "We are very pleased that we are now continuing the success story with our fully electrically powered MAN Lion's City 10 E. We owe this success to our customers and our team, which gives its best day after day," said Stéphane de Creisquer at the award ceremony. And further: "The award is further proof of the confidence in our products, because the Lion's City 10 E only recently celebrated its market launch. It contains all the experience we have gained with the Lion's City E electric bus series.

Compact dimensions are well received

One of the convincing features of the MAN Lion's City 10 E, which has been in production at the Polish MAN city bus plant in Starachowice since the beginning of 2023, is its compact size. This is because the midibus version, with a length of 10.5 metres, can play to its strengths especially in the increasing use of customer-oriented "on-demand" services and as an amplifier at high-frequency times as well as a manoeuvrable city centre shuttle. It has a similar passenger capacity to many 12-metre solo buses, but requires significantly less traffic space in narrow city centres and depots and is also much more manoeuvrable.

To create the Lion's City 10 E, the designers drew on the construction kit of its big brother, the Lion's City 12 E, which is successfully in use across Europe. Width, height and overhangs remained unchanged, as did the concept of the engine tower-free rear, which provides four more seats (maximum 33 seats and 80 passengers in total) than the few competitors in the segment. The "shortening" of the body took place exclusively between the axles, where a window module was removed, resulting in an overall length of 10.5 metres and saving around 350 kilograms in weight. Despite this significant shortening, there is still room for a wheelchair or pram in the standing platform. A third door is also possible, with which there are still 29 seats available and the passenger flow is once again significantly improved.

Record-breaking turning circle and outstanding range

As a result of the measures, the wheelbase has shrunk significantly from around six metres to 4.40 metres and the turning circle has dropped to a record-breaking 17.2 metres, making the car enormously manoeuvrable. Like its big locally emission-free brothers, the Lion's City 10 E has adaptive PCV dampers for the best driving characteristics. The midibus thus fits seamlessly into the electric bus portfolio - standard components and spare parts are used and no elaborate "special solutions" are required. For optimal corrosion protection, the complex KTL primer is used. Even though it is the smallest full-grown city bus of the new MAN Lion's City generation, it offers all the advanced technology of its longer colleagues. This also applies to the modern safety systems such as ESP, active warning cornering assistant, daylight-bright LED headlights or the camera-based MAN OptiView mirror replacement system.

Like all MAN eBuses, the Lion's City 10 E also uses the Group's proven lithium-ion batteries (NMC) with particularly high energy density and service life. Either four or even five packs are installed on the roof. When fully equipped, the performance data are 400 kilowatt hours and up to 300 km range or 320 kilowatt hours and 235 km range. The 10-metre eBus is charged in the depot via CCS plug and with up to 150 kW. A full charge with four battery packs thus takes less than two and a half hours, with five packs the bus needs about three hours. Ideal for quick use as a booster or on short inner-city routes. "Our goal was and is to provide customers with the best possible support in their daily work - whether with customised solutions, individual consulting services or new technologies," says Heinz Kiess, Head of Product Marketing Bus at MAN Truck & Bus. "With the Lion's City 10 E we are now rounding off our electric portfolio at the bottom end, so that hardly any wishes remain unfulfilled."

Inspiring sustainability, efficiency and reliability

MAN's CO₂ air conditioning system, which has been available since mid-2022 and is particularly sustainable, is on board the new eMidibus at the customer's request. It is more environmentally friendly and at the same time significantly more efficient, which also has a positive effect on the range. The compact roof-mounted system is operated with climate-neutral carbon dioxide (R744) instead of the conventional refrigerant R134a. "Sustainability, but also efficiency and reliability are the values that characterise our Lion's City 10 E just like the other MAN eBuses - and this was also excellently received by the jury of the Spanish National Transport Awards," Kiess sums up.

About the Spanish National Transport Awards

The National Transport Awards were established 35 years ago by the trade magazines "Transporte 3" and "Viajeros". Every year, a jury of more than 500 entrepreneurs from the transport sector and experts from the motor vehicle sector selects the best vehicle presented on the Spanish market in ten categories since the last edition of the awards. The decisions are based on a comprehensive analysis of the vehicles' safety, reliability, profitability and efficiency.

Getting from A to B in Copenhagen is easy, fast and comfortable. Whether trains, metro or taxis - there is a wide choice of transport options in the Danish capital. If you want to travel in a particularly environmentally friendly way, you can take a bicycle, a harbour bus - the ferries run on green electricity - or in future one of the 45 new MAN Lion's City 12 E buses that VIKINGBUS Danmark A/S has ordered from MAN Truck & Bus. The transport company won a tender to operate bus routes in Copenhagen from the Public Transport Authority (PTA) Movia and will in future operate routes in Denmark's capital as well as on Frederiksberg, in Lyngby, Greve and Høje Taastrup. "The issue of sustainability is essential for VIKINGBUS Danmark A/S, which is why it was quickly decided that particularly environmentally friendly city buses should be used on the newly acquired bus routes," says Rudi Kuchta, Head of Business Unit Bus at MAN Truck & Bus, adding, "We are naturally delighted that our MAN Lion's City E was chosen and that the issue of environmental protection is becoming increasingly important in public transport."

VIKINGBUS Danmark A/S already has MAN eBuses in operation and has thus been able to gain experience with the modern city buses. Since last year, the company has been using a total of 12 MAN Lion's City E on bus routes in the Danish cities of Odder and Skanderborg. VIKINGBUS Danmark A/S has also been relying on MAN in the coach sector for many years. With the new order for 45 eBuses, VIKINGBUS has 86 MAN and NEOPLAN vehicles in its fleet. "The new order clearly shows how well we work together, but also how satisfied VIKINGBUS is with our vehicles. We are proud of that," says Jesper Mathiesen, Fleet & PTA Tender Manager Citybus at MAN Denmark, and adds: "It is a great experience to put so many electric buses on the road in Greater Copenhagen and the additional suburban municipalities. We will do our best for a smooth start and operation of the vehicles."

Already 25 MAN Lion's City 12 E in operation in Copenhagen

The 45 newly ordered eBuses are not the first MAN Lion's City E to make their rounds in Copenhagen. Anchersen A/S already ordered 25 eBuses from MAN last year. These have already been delivered and will be used on Copenhagen's central bus route 7A, which carries more than 4.3 million passengers every year. "But it is not 'only' in Denmark that our eBus, which was awarded the international 'Bus of the Year 2023' at the IAA 2022, is being excellently received, but also in Norway and Sweden. Only recently the Norwegian transport operator Unibuss ordered 76 MAN Lion's City E from us," says Rudi Kuchta and adds: "Scandinavia is considered one of the pioneers when it comes to alternative drives, so competition in the eBus market is correspondingly high. The fact that our Lion's City E is so successful is a great recognition for the whole team, which is working tirelessly on the further development of the electric bus."

MAN eManager facilitates fleet management for VIKINGBUS

The fact that MAN Truck & Bus regularly receives new orders for the Lion's City E from Scandinavia as well as from the rest of Europe is certainly due to the advanced technology, flexibility and reliability of the fully electric city bus. "Our goal is to support municipalities and transport companies holistically on their way to emission-free mobility. In addition to the vehicle, however, comprehensive advice from MAN Transport Solutions and offers such as the MAN eManager play a central role here," explains Rudi Kuchta. The MAN eManager is the digital central command system for the eBus. It is also used in the operation of the 45 MAN Lion's City 12 E vehicles from VIKINGBUS Danmark A/S. The aim is to make the management of the fleet as simple as possible. Among other things, two options are available for charging the batteries: If "Immediate charging" is selected, the vehicle charges as soon as it is connected to a charging station and charging current is available. With "Timer charging", several timers can be set simultaneously so that charging is programmed for a specific departure time. In addition, the vehicle interior can be thermally preconditioned: The eBus thus leaves the depot with a pleasant interior temperature at the click of a mouse, whereby preconditioning simultaneously has a positive effect on the remaining range, as less energy is required for heating or cooling at the start of the journey. "Definitely one of many points that convinced VIKINGBUS of our eBuses," says Kuchta.

No other capital city in the world has a higher proportion of electric cars than Oslo. Trams and ferries are powered by electricity from hydropower. And more and more electric buses are also on the road in Oslo. The Norwegian transport operator Unibuss, for example, has now ordered 76 Lion's City E from MAN Truck & Bus - including 59 solo and 17 articulated buses. "We are very pleased about our first e-bus order from Norway, which fits seamlessly into a series of orders from Scandinavia - a great success!" says Rudi Kuchta, Head of Business Unit Bus at MAN Truck & Bus.

22 MAN Lion's City E are already in service in Malmö, Sweden. KEOLIS also ordered a total of 75 Lion's City 18 E for Sweden last year. Of these, 60 articulated e-buses will go to Gothenburg and 15 to Stockholm. In addition, 10 Lion's City 12 E are to be used in the Swedish capital. Another order for 12 articulated e-buses from MAN came from Uppsala. In addition, the framework agreement with Gamla Uppsala Buss includes an option for a further 65 electric buses. And Denmark is also relying on the MAN e-bus. Residents and visitors to the capital Copenhagen are chauffeured in 26 MAN Lion's City 12 E buses. Twelve more e-buses were also delivered to Vikingbus in Odder. This means that 38 electric buses are now making their rounds on Danish roads.

Unibuss builds on sustainable public transport

The fact that the Norwegian transport operator Unibuss also cares about innovation and sustainability can be seen in its existing fleet, which is already well positioned in terms of alternative drives. "For several years now, the bus company has been committed to sustainable local public transport. With the new 76 MAN e-buses, Unibuss is now taking another important step towards clean mobility," emphasises Malte Kauert, Managing Director MAN Truck & Bus Nordics, and adds: "We are of course very pleased that the long-standing partnership with Unibuss is being continued. I am particularly proud of the team in Norway, which has made this significant success possible through close cooperation." Delivery of the 76 MAN Lion's City E is scheduled for the end of 2023. They will then be deployed in the north-east and east of Oslo - and thus in trendy city districts with many parks, museums and charming wooden houses.

"Oslo is to become the world's first emission-free city by 2030. With emission-free public transport already by the end of 2023, an important part of the job is done. New electric buses in Oslo East mean cleaner local air, less noise, better comfort and reduced greenhouse gas emissions," says Ruter AS, the local public transport authority (PTA) which will operate the buses in Oslo.

One of the reasons Unibuss decided on the MAN Lion's City E was to significantly improve the CO₂ balance in public transport. But the issue of flexibility also played an important role for the company. For example, the solo buses are equipped with 5 instead of 6 (standard) battery packs and the articulated buses with 7 instead of 8 (standard) battery packs. "Since this autumn, our customers have been able to decide for themselves on the number of battery packs," says Kuchta and adds: "In this way, our all-electric city bus can be even better adapted to individual customer needs and requirements in terms of range and passenger capacity."

More efficiency, but also more range, is also promised by the CO₂ air conditioning system, which has been available as an option since mid-2022 - and which Unibuss has opted for. The new air conditioning system for the Lion's City E is more environmentally friendly and at the same time significantly more efficient, which can provide an additional range of up to 25 km.

The safety of passengers, drivers and other road users is ensured by numerous assistance systems such as MAN BirdView, which provides a 360° bird's eye view of the vehicle's immediate surroundings, and the MAN OptiView mirror replacement system. The latter supports the driver by, among other things, eliminating the blind spot and significantly improving visibility at night and in poor weather conditions. Since this year, the innovative technology has also been available for all models of the new city bus generation - including the fully electric Lion's City E.

"Our innovative technology convinced Unibuss, as did the comprehensive consulting on our eMobility solutions from the experts at MAN Transport Solutions," Kuchta makes clear. "Among other things, they also calculated the routes for the optimal use of the buses." And MAN will continue to provide the Norwegian public transport operator with the best possible support in the future. In addition to supplying the vehicles, MAN will also provide service and maintenance for the city buses for a period of up to 12 years.

Since its foundation in 2007, the independent rating agency EcoVadis has built up an international network of more than 100,000 rated companies. For this purpose, experts analyse how well they have integrated the principles of sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) into their business activities and management systems - specifically according to industry, country and company size. MAN has been participating in the assessments since 2014.

The aim of EcoVadis is to produce reliable and globally recognised sustainability assessments. This enables companies to document their own efforts and include their assessment when selecting suppliers. Increasingly, such assessments are the prerequisite for even being considered for new purchases.

MAN far above the industry average

MAN achieved 72 out of 100 points in the overall evaluation, while the industry average in the "manufacture of motor vehicles" segment is 45 points. The high score secures MAN a place among the top five percent of all 104 companies assessed, as 97 percent of them scored worse. This is why EcoVadis has awarded the commercial vehicle manufacturer a gold medal for the first time, following a bronze medal in 2021.

EcoVadis evaluates companies in four areas. MAN achieved the highest score in the area of "Environment" (80 points), followed by "Labour and Human Rights" (70 points), "Sustainable Procurement" (70 points) and "Ethics" (60 points). The basis for the assessments was the current Sustainability Report 2021, which is based on the fundamentally revised sustainability strategy.

MAN's transparent and comprehensive reporting and progress tracking on all relevant sustainability aspects (e.g. the audited sustainability report in accordance with the GRI standard), the commitment to sustainability goals via published information and measures already implemented (e.g. the SBTi goals) as well as the guidelines and policies anchored in the company on the four assessment areas (e.g. the MAN environmental policy) were particularly highlighted in the assessment.

New MAN sustainability strategy bears fruit

Sustainability is anchored at the core of MAN's new corporate strategy. "This is now bearing fruit, as our leap forward in the EcoVadis assessment shows," says MAN CEO Alexander Vlaskamp. "For us, this is an incentive to further increase our efforts in all areas considered - because sustainability is not an outcome, but a continuous process. And even in a difficult market environment, we regard sustainable action as a prerequisite for being able to compete in the future."

In particular, the interdisciplinary cooperation of all MAN divisions made the success in the EcoVadis assessment possible. The company intends to continue along this path in the future: After the detailed evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses named by the experts, MAN will further optimise its measures in the area of sustainability.