MAN receives an order from Sweden for 181 buses

Stockholm to have the world's largest fleet of hybrid MAN buses

The Swedish public transport company, Keolis Sverige AB, will thus extend its fleet with 181 MAN Lion's City urban buses, of which 52 will be of the hybrid type. This order represents the largest order for MAN hybrid buses placed by any single customer to date. 127 MAN Lion's City articulated buses with CNG and diesel drive units, as well as two MAN Lion's City M buses also figure in the order. All of the vehicles meet the current, most stringent Euro 6 exhaust gas emission standards. Keolis will introduce the MAN Lion's City fleet into the public transport network in Stockholm and the surrounding suburbs.

The vehicles will be delivered from the beginning of June 2014 by the Swedish importer Svenska Neoplan AB, who will also be responsible for their servicing and maintenance. The main deciding factor for awarding the contract was the high quality of the MAN buses as well as the impressive service concept. In addition to the comprehensive warranty benefits, the availability of spare parts is also assured. Svenska Neoplan AB will also provide ongoing technical support and assist Keolis personnel with training and know-how concerning the buses. Furthermore, the transport company also profits from the generous financial conditions on offer.

 "MAN's vehicles not only fulfil our high standards but also fully comply with the regulations and requirements as laid down by the public transportation authorities for local traffic in Stockholm. I am convinced that an increasing number of passengers will use our buses in future", said Magnus Åkerhielm, CEO at Keolis Sverige AB.

The efficient MAN buses impress with their exceptionally low fuel consumption and low emissions. This enables the MAN Lion's City hybrid to save up to 30 percent on diesel costs and CO₂ emissions. An additional benefit is the noise reduction capability: When pulling away from a stop, the bus is driven in a full-electric mode, with the diesel engine cutting in after the first few hundred metres.

In the case of the MAN Lion's City CNG articulated buses Keolis can depend on the decades of experience MAN has with natural gas buses. Using concentrated biogas, the buses can be operated as CO₂-neutral. Due to the very smooth fuel combustion, CNG buses are especially quiet when under way.

Keolis operate the world's largest fleet of biogas buses on their Swedish routes and place particular emphasis on renewable fuels. Depending on the engine model, the new buses will be operated with either biodiesel or biogas. MAN already supported the company in 2013 in further development of a sustainable public transport system by setting up a new service centre for biogas city buses in Gothenburg.