More and more public transport operators in Spain are opting for electric buses. The Lion’s City E is particularly popular thanks to its reliability, range and sustainability. To date, more than 175 MAN eBuses have been ordered for Spanish cities.
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.
SOURCE: MAN Truck & Bus
