Germany
An MAN Lion’s City E has achieved 550.8 kilometres on test under real day-to-day conditions. The bus was used for 24 hours in service with no intermediate charging during an e-bus trial that was carried out on 18 May in Munich. MAN said that this range will enable its customers to operate around 99% of routes with no intermediate charging. During the test run on the Munich’s routes 176 and X80 between Karlsfelder Straße, Moosacher and Puchheimer station, the bus carried a simulated a load and stopped at every bus stop, opening and closing doors each time. The test was monitored by TÜV SÜD and used drivers from MAN ProfiDrive.
“It’s really incredible what the drivers and vehicle managed to do. The MAN Lion’s City E drove 550 kilometres on a local public transport route under realistic conditions – all on a single battery charge. We’re absolutely delighted with this great result. Finally, we have clearly demonstrated that e-mobility is now suitable for everyday use,” said Rudi Kuchta, Head of Bus at MAN Truck & Bus.
“Our aim was to demonstrate that you can achieve a very high range with our Lion’s City E under genuine everyday conditions. And after driving a total distance of 550 kilometres, we can say we definitely achieved it. As well as availability and reliability, the issue of range is a crucial factor for our customers. Ultimately, in the future a single electric vehicle needs to be able to take over lines that were previously operated using a single vehicle with an internal combustion engine, fitting seamlessly into the overall operation. With a range of 550 kilometres, this is possible without intermediate charging in 99% of cases. This means that customers can charge their buses in the depot and do not have to invest in additional technology along the route – a crucial advantage.”
MAN says that even ranges of ‘only’ 400 or 300 kilometres would cover 98% and 89% respectively of routes operated by its customers, according to an analysis of 1,325 routes carried out by experts from MAN Transport Solutions as part of its e-mobility consultancy for companies operating local public transport. “We drove partially loaded in spring-like temperatures on a relatively flat urban/inter-urban route – of course these were favourable practical conditions,” said Heinz Kiess, Head of Product Marketing Bus. He added: “Nevertheless, a range of 550 kilometres is a more than convincing result and reflects the positive experience of many of our customers who are already using or have tested the MAN Lion’s City E.”
MAN said that a 12-metre example completed trial operation at Badajoz in Spain last year, where it completed a full 16-hour shift in high temperatures, and covered a total distance of 284 kilometres. “At the end of the day, the bus still had a decent amount of charge. This shows that our e-bus can even be used on routes where operation of electric vehicles would have been unthinkable in the past,” said Manuel Fraile, Head of Sales Bus at MAN Truck & Bus Iberia.
Alongside the technology, MAN said that an efficient driving style also plays a critical role when it comes to range. “It is important not to underestimate the influence of the driver. That is why we are offering special driver training for our e-bus. The trainings focus on economical driving,” said Heinz.
