Wolfsburg tests electric bus from MAN

Premiere – Wolfsburg's public transport company, Verkehrsgesellschaft GmbH (WVG), is embarking on the city’s electromobile future with a MAN Lion’s City E. Under the slogan "Emissions-Free Mobility for Wolfsburg," the 12-meter-long electric bus, which can accommodate up to 82 passengers, will transport students and workers to their respective destinations in the mornings and afternoons. The battery bus will be charged (approximately three hours) after its morning tour at the WVG depot, and it will be powered with LSW green electricity.

"I am particularly pleased that Wolfsburg's first electric bus is a MAN Lion’s City E," said Mike Vannauer, Regional Sales Manager for Buses, MAN Truck & Bus Germany GmbH, during a first test drive of the electric bus together with the supervisory board of Stadtwerke Wolfsburg AG.

Technical Data

The eBus is powered by a central motor on the rear axle, which is easier to access and less complex in design compared to in-wheel motors, according to the Munich-based bus manufacturer. Additionally, the same drive axle as in other models of the new Lion’s City generation is installed, which, according to MAN, brings advantages in terms of maintenance and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).

The performance of the all-electric drive system is specified by the Munich-based company as 160 kW to a maximum of 240 kW. The energy comes from six lithium-ion battery modules with an installed capacity of 480 kWh. This is intended to allow the MAN Lion’s City E to cover 200 km, or even up to 270 km under favorable conditions – guaranteed over the entire lifespan of the battery. The company specifies a charging time of under three hours with a charging power of up to 150 kW.

MAN eMobility Roadmap

MAN aims to gain extensive practical experience in regular service with the use of its "eBus demo fleet" – the E-Solo deployed in Wolfsburg is also part of the total of 15 vehicles that have been in customer operation since this year in five European countries (Germany, Spain, Luxembourg, Belgium, France).

The first two MAN Lion’s City E Solos were already put into test operation in December 2019 with Hamburger Hochbahn and Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein – the first customer vehicles from E-Solo series production are expected to be delivered to Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein in the fourth quarter of 2020.

In July 2020, testing continued with the Munich Transport Company, and the Cologne Transport Company also plans to test the 18-meter articulated bus variant of the MAN Lion’s City E thoroughly in regular operation.

The start of series production of the all-electric Lion’s City E in the 18-meter articulated bus version has been announced by the Munich-based company for the first half of 2021.