MVG puts MAN Lion’s City E on trial in Munich
An MAN Lion’s City E is being operated on Munich’s MVG Museenlinie 100 bus route between the Hauptbahnhof and Ostbahnhof stations as part of a trial. “This is a première as the Lion’s City E is being used in regular-service operations in the Bavarian capital Munich for the first time,” says Rudi Kuchta, head of business unit bus at MAN Truck & Bus. MVG, the public transport operator in Munich, aims is to gradually switch its fleet of buses to emission-free drivelines.
“We are delighted that MAN is testing one of its first electric buses on our network with us as the transport provider,” says MVG’s Ingo Wortmann. “Our aim for the next ten years is clear – we want to distance ourselves from oil, and move towards zero emission operations. For this, we need reliable electric buses that have a long range.”
The 12m MAN Lion’s City E retains the colours and equipment of MVG, so it is instantly recognisable as a vehicle from the Munich public transport fleet. The electric bus can accommodate up to 88 passengers and includes an optimised seating area in the rear, resulting from the lack of an engine tower.
The electric bus is driven by a central motor on the rear axle which MAN says is simpler and more accessible than motors in close proximity to the wheel hubs. The same drive axle is also installed as in the other models of the new Lion’s City range.
The electric driveline produces between 160 kW and a maximum of 240kW. The energy for this comes from six lithium-ion battery modules with 480kWh of installed capacity. This allows the Lion’s City E to ensure a range of 200km, and up to 27 km in favourable conditions, over the entire service life of the batteries, says MAN. With a charging power of up to 150kW, the bus can be charged in less than three hours.
“The topic of range is particularly important for Stadtwerke München and MVG,” adds Kuchta. “We are optimistic that MVG and MAN will be very happy with the results. The batteries are adapted to the particular requirements of city bus use and MAN’s expertise is also demonstrated by the sophisticated temperature management system which ensures particularly good availability no matter the time of year.”