Electric long-distance Runners

640 kilowatt hours battery capacity provides the articulated bus (18 meters). The solo bus (12 meters) has a battery capacity of 480 kilowatt hours.

The future of urban transport is electric. That’s why MAN now offers a fully electric public transport solution in the shape of the Lion’s City E. Admittedly, MAN customers value other properties as well as climate protection: an electric bus must offer excellent availability and reliability, and it must guarantee a suitable range. Transport operators want to be able to replace their diesel vehicles on a one for one basis. This means that the range of an electric bus must be enough for even the longest route. Otherwise, it will not be worthwhile for operators to switch to e-mobility.

In most cases, this is no longer a problem thanks to ever-better batteries. The energy density of batteries has increased hugely in recent years, meaning that the same battery volume can store ever more energy. Most usage scenarios can be effortlessly covered with the technologies available today. To achieve this, the MAN E-bus has sufficient battery capacity installed on the vehicle roof - 480 kWh on the solo bus (12 metres) and as much as 640 kWh on the articulated bus (18 metres).

350 kilometres of range can be achieved with the "Maximum Range" strategy of the MAN Lion's City E.

TWO USAGE STRATEGIES: "RELIABLE RANGE" AND "MAXIMUM RANGE"

Because requirements can differ so much for different customers, MAN offers bus operators two alternative battery usage strategies. Those who need a consistently reliable range throughout the entire use period use the "Reliable Range" strategy. This offers sufficient reserves with a limited charge window of 65 percent. It can therefore offer a consistent range of up to 270 kilometres for the whole usage period. As a result, operators could already run around 80 percent of their routes using the MAN Lion’s City E without interim charging.

However, those who intend to use their electric bus on longer routes have an alternative in the shape of the "Maximum Range" strategy. With a larger charge window of 80 percent, more energy from each charge is available to use, increasing the daily range as required. Operators can benefit from greater usage flexibility, which can also be an advantage in extreme temperatures or when faced with diversions. The range when using the "Maximum Range" strategy is up to 350 kilometres.

Non-stop through the night: In Munich, the MAN Lion's City E covered 550 kilometres on the ‘Efficiency Run’ - without charging.

TRAINED DRIVERS GO MUCH FURTHER

However, intelligent technology is only half of the story when it comes to range. Alongside factors such as topography and weather, it is above all the driver who plays a crucial role. Trained experts at the wheel can travel significantly further as drivers than those who don’t know the best energy-saving tricks (the keyword here is regeneration). Training pays off - speak to the e-experts at MAN: training with MAN ProfiDrive turns drivers into crafty energy-savers.

The "Efficiency Run" in May 2021 provided impressive proof of what is possible under optimum conditions. A MAN Lion’s City E with ProfiDrive drivers at the wheel drove for 24 hours on one of Munich’s public transport routes, covering 550 kilometres in that period without stopping to charge