With over 190,000 residents, Trondheim is Norway’s third-largest city. The cityscape is characterised by colourful warehouses as well as the new olive green MAN buses, which have been in operation since the beginning of August. MAN Truck & Bus delivered 105 city buses to Vy Buss AS and another 84 vehicles to Tide Buss AS. “We’re delighted that the two largest transport companies in Norway put their trust in us,” said Rudi Kuchta, Head of Product & Sales Bus and Speaker Business Area Bus at MAN Truck & Bus. He added: “The buses are powered with biogas or biodiesel, which means they fit in wonderfully with the quiet and natural environment in Trondheim – you just want to take in a deep breath of air!”
The modern alternative drive forms perfectly complement the image of a green, smog-free city, and are also exceptionally economical. Numerous Scandinavian metropolises and cities are already switching to new types of drive solutions, with the objective to significantly reduce the carbon footprint when it comes to public transport.
MAN Lion’s City (A21) vehicles have now been in operation in the Norwegian city for a few weeks. The solobuses are 12 metres long and feature an E2876 LUH Euro 6 gas engine. In terms of fuel, drivers can use both natural gas as well as biogas. The order also included the delivery of two variants of the 18-metre-long MAN Lion’s City G (A23) articulated bus: one with a D2066 LUH diesel engine in a special biodiesel version, and one with an E2876 LUH gas engine. Both variants fulfil the Euro 6 emission standard.
The transport companies also ordered MAN Lion’s City L LE (A44) city buses. These 15-metre-long low-floor vehicles feature the D2066 LUH diesel engine and are likewise powered with biodiesel. Comfort and safety are ensured respectively by a powerful air-conditioning system and an innovative camera monitoring system in the passenger and driver area.
The vehicles are not the first buses that the two Norwegian transport companies have ordered from MAN Truck & Bus. Back in 2011 MAN delivered 13 natural gas buses to Vy Buss AS; today the number stands at 260 city buses and coaches. The collaboration between Tide Buss AS and MAN began in 2003 with the delivery of 6 trolley buses. A total of 240 vehicles for city and tourist travel have now been supplied to the company.
The latest order also includes training for drivers as well as a service and maintenance contract. The deciding factor in awarding it to MAN Truck & Bus was, among other things, its many years of expertise in the gas-fuelled drive sector. “We have been driven by and focused on this subject for over 75 years – we aren’t the European market and technological leader in the gas-fuelled city bus sector for nothing,” said Jan Aichinger, Head of Product Marketing Bus. “By operating biogas vehicles, Vy Buss AS and Tide Buss AS are sending a clear message in regards to environmental protection. After all, a gas bus running on biogas currently represents the most economical and environmentally sound solution for a virtually CO2-neutral form of public transport.”
SOURCE: MAN Truck & Bus
