Warsaw is one of the 10 biggest cities in the EU. More than 1.7 million people live in the Polish capital on the river Vistula. The city draws thousands of tourists a year to visit its historic old centre – a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980 – and its many palaces, monuments and museums. So running an attractive and low-emission local public transport system is vital.
That is why local operator Mobilis recently chose to acquire 61 MAN Lion’s City Hybrid buses. The subsidiary of Egged Israel took delivery of the city buses from MAN Truck & Bus in mid-June, just two months after the Polish bus company’s representatives had visited Munich to sign the contract. “We are delighted that Mobilis chose the MAN Lion’s City Hybrid. Alongside the quality of the vehicles, the main factors in that choice were their innovative drive system concept, their sustainability and their highly economical running costs,” comments Christian Fischer, head of Bus Sales Management at MAN Truck & Bus.
The MAN hybrid bus cuts fuel consumption by as much as 30 percent, thus saving as much as 10,000 litres of diesel per year on average. The vehicle’s CO2 emissions are also significantly lower than comparable city buses. The 61 MAN Lion’s City Hybrid buses are powered by a 250 hp (184 kW) EURO VI diesel engine combined with a high-performance electric motor. The electric motor is provided with additional power by recuperating the vehicle’s braking energy, which is stored in ultracaps. “This recuperated and stored energy is used to enable a zero-emission, low-noise approach to bus stops for example. The system therefore greatly reduces noise pollution for local residents,” Fischer explains.
And the MAN Lion’s City Hybrid is a winner in terms of comfort too: The low entry ensures that passengers can enter and exit the bus with ease. There is also a manual ramp on one of the three inward-swinging doors to speed up passenger flows as and when necessary. The LED lighting on the doors additionally ensures safe entry and exit at night. The 12 metre long two-axled buses also feature assistance systems such as the Electronic Brake System (EBS) incorporating ABS/traction control functionality, an emergency braking signal, an electronic brake pad wear indicator, and a fire extinguisher system in the engine compartment. Additional safety is provided by a video surveillance system in the passenger area. The driver is protected against intruders by a full-screen cab door.
“We have been working successfully with Mobilis for 25 years now. The fact that Mobilis, as Poland’s largest bus company, chooses to rely on MAN clearly demonstrates that it is convinced of the reliability of our buses and backup services in the running of its public transport operations,” Fischer concludes. MAN Truck & Bus also handles the maintenance and servicing of the vehicles. In fact, it is not just Mobilis that relies on MAN: its parent company Egged, Israel’s largest transport service provider, is a firm believer in the qualities of MAN buses too. And has been for the past 85 years.
