MAN Truck & Bus is carrying out tests in several Spanish cities to test the capabilities of the electric bus in order to develop 100% electric technology for public transport and put more electric buses on the roads.
“By 2025, half of our new city buses will be alternative propulsion. And we expect that just five years later, in 2030, 90% of our city buses will be delivered with battery drive,” said Rudi Kuchta, director of the bus business unit of MAN Truck & Bus.
The tests are being carried out with the MAN Lion’s City model, while the Spanish cities that are serving as testing grounds are San Sebastián, Zaragoza, Valencia, Alicante, Alcoy, Cáceres, Seville, Málaga, Tenerife, Las Palmas, Badajoz, Bilbao, Barcelona, Gerona, Santander and Madrid, very different environments with which the firm seeks “the greatest disparity” possible to test the vehicle on different terrains.
From MAN they have indicated that the objective is to obtain a technology that is capable of covering complete shifts, between 15 and 20 uninterrupted hours, without intermediate recharges, and even reach the end of the day with a remnant of energy.
Likewise, the firm has recalled that this initiative is in tune with the current Climate Change Law, by which by 2030 cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants must create low-emission zones, which implies that municipalities must invest in alternatives for sustainable mobility for citizens.
