Eight countries, ten days, more than 2,500 kilometers: On Friday, the “Electrifying Europe Tour” starts in Munich. The main protagonist is the MAN Lion’s City 12 E, which will travel from the Bavarian capital via Innsbruck, St. Moritz, Vaduz, Zurich, Strasbourg, Luxembourg, Brussels, Rouen, and Cherbourg to Limerick, where the tour will end on May 8, 2022. This is because the “International Bus Euro Test 2022” will be held there from May 9 to 12, 2022, in which MAN will be participating with the all-electric city bus.
“With the tour, we want to show that it is already possible to be emission-free, reliable, and suitable for everyday use throughout Europe,” says Rudi Kuchta, Head of Business Unit Bus at MAN Truck & Bus, adding, “To do this, our team will visit metropolises, undertake cross-country journeys, and even cross an Alpine pass. In this way, our eBus can demonstrate that it is always sustainable and reliable on the road under a wide range of conditions and that it has more than enough energy even for demanding routes.”
MAN also wants to send a signal for a peaceful Europe on the tour. That’s why the city bus was branded with blue and yellow design elements in reference to the colors of the Ukraine flag. “Buses transport and connect people across borders and nationalities. The design shows that we at MAN stand by the side of people who are in need because of the war in Ukraine,” Kuchta makes clear. The commitment of MAN employees is correspondingly great. Since the outbreak of the war, they have helped those affected in a variety of ways: For example, they donated 100,000 euros, collected relief supplies, organized transports, and offered direct assistance to the refugees. In addition, MAN provides vehicles to support aid organizations wherever possible.
#ElectrifyingEurope: Interested parties can follow the tour at first hand
Anyone interested can follow what the blue and yellow eBus is experiencing on the “Electrifying Europe Tour” at https://go.man/roadtrip. Every day from 11 a.m. onwards, there are up-to-date travel reports, background information on eBuses as well as photos and videos of the tour. Interested parties can also find out how the 12-meter Lion’s City E and the MAN team are mastering the journey through Europe on social media under #ElectrifyingEurope.
MAN eBus impresses with sophisticated technology and long range
MAN has completed its new generation of city buses with the all-electric MAN Lion’s City E, a zero-emission variant. Series production of the 12-meter solo version started in October 2020 at MAN’s Polish plant in Starachowice. The all-electric Lion’s City 18 E articulated bus went into series production in April 2021. This offers space for up to 130 passengers, the solo bus for up to 88 passengers. In terms of drive, MAN relies on a central motor on the rear axle in its eBus, or two central motors on the second and third axles in the articulated bus, which benefits driving performance. The energy for the all-electric powertrain comes from the batteries on the vehicle roof. The electric buses offer a range of up to 350 kilometers under favorable conditions over the entire service life of the batteries.
SOURCE: MAN Truck & Bus
