The MAN Electric Tour has long been a banner of how the MAN brand approaches the energy transition. And it has become yet another demonstration of the versatility and real possibility of immediate operation of Lion’s City electric buses, not only in urban but also extra-urban areas.
Therefore, with this ideal bridge between Italy and Slovenia, a further opportunity has been taken to demonstrate the absolute reliability and flexibility of use of the MAN electric bus range which with two 12 and 18-metre Lion’s City E has faced without problems a journey decidedly different from the usual employment in city centres.
A journey to discover places, traditions and cultures that over the years have experienced even very complex historical moments, with the desire to reaffirm the closeness and strong bond that unites the two peoples. The idea stems from the will of Marc Martinez, Managing Director of MAN Truck & Bus Italia and President of the Adriatic Area of the Casa del Leone, to give substance to his role by creating a real union between the Italian market and the adjacent Slovenian counterpart, starting from Verona, the headquarters of MAN Truck & Bus Italia, and arriving as far as Ljubljana where the headquarters of MAN Truck & Bus Slovenia are based.
In total, the vehicles traveled 1,255 km with an average consumption of 0.71 kWh/km obtained also thanks to the 175 kW recovered during operation, over 16% of the entire power consumed. The 12-metre two-axle yacht is equipped with an electric motor with a maximum power of 240 kW and six battery packs (modular according to autonomy and load capacity requirements) positioned on the roof for a total of 480 kWh. The 18-metre Lion’s City E articulated with three axles is instead equipped with two motors, one on the rear axle and one on the central one for a maximum power of 400 kW, powered by eight battery packs for 640 kWh.
The tour was also a further opportunity to re-present the “Bus of the Year 2023”, the first 100% electric to be awarded the prestigious international award. It is almost superfluous to underline the great interest that the two MAN Lion’s City E aroused in all stages of their journey, in particular among the transport companies encountered along the itinerary, including the Italian APT Gorizia and the Slovenian Nomago.