MAN to release electric bus chassis globally
MAN Truck & Bus will in future offer an electric bus chassis for the global market. In a first step, MAN will offer the eBus chassis as a two-axle vehicle for use as a low-floor, low-entry and intercity bus (high floor). Bodybuilders can develop their electric buses on this basis.
The chassis is based on technologies from the Lion’s City E, which is already in use in many European countries and for which, according to the company, a total of over 1,000 orders have been received to date. The aim is to “further advance environmentally friendly mobility and make traffic in cities all over the world even cleaner, quieter and safer,” writes MAN.
The central engine on the rear axle, for example, comes directly from the Lion’s City E, and the core of the battery technology (based on developments from the VW Group) is also already known. This applies at least to the NMC battery with a cathode made of lithium, nickel, manganese and cobalt. With the new e-chassis, MAN will also offer an LFP battery. This is cheaper, but enables a lower range due to its lower energy density.
“Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for all our customers to get started with electromobility. And we can do this with a product that is safe, reliable, has a long range and is extremely flexible,” says Barbaros Oktay, Head of Bus Engineering at MAN Truck & Bus. Since the chassis and the batteries can be adapted to the respective requirements, MAN does not mention battery sizes or ranges in the announcement. According to Oktay, interurban use should also be possible in addition to urban transport.
MAN Truck & Bus says it is working with its global network of body manufacturers to serve markets in Asia, Africa, South America, Australia and New Zealand. The first prototypes of MAN’s eBus chassis are to be delivered in 2023. The start of series production is planned for 2024. The eBus chassis will be produced at the Polish MAN plant in Starachowice, where the Lion’s City E is also manufactured.
In a first step, MAN will offer the eBus chassis as a two-axle vehicle for use as a low-floor, low-entry and intercity bus (high floor). “To ensure that the eBus chassis can be used everywhere, this will be available as a left-handed and right-handed variant,” says Oktay. “This is particularly interesting for countries where left-hand traffic prevails and MAN buses already characterise the street scene. These include Singapore, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, among others.”
By 2040, sales of zero-emission buses are expected to rise to over 80 per cent of the global market. “To meet this demand and make an important contribution in terms of sustainable mobility, we are now offering the MAN electric bus solution for international markets outside Europe with our eBus chassis,” says Rudi Kuchta, Head of Business Unit Bus at MAN Truck & Bus, adding: “With the chassis, we are giving bodybuilders from all over the world the perfect basis for their fully electric models.”
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