EBSF project - European bus
of the future
MAN is taking part in the European research project "European Bus System of the Future" (EBSF) with its innovative Lion's City GL articulated bus. The project is the European Commission's biggest road-traffic project to date. Its objective is to plan and develop an innovative, high quality bus system for urban local public transport.
The EBSF project, under the leadership of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP), is divided into various sub-projects in which different developmental approaches and options are being tested under real operational conditions in seven European cities. MAN Truck & Bus is participating in the sub-projects concerned primarily with increasing the flow of passengers at high volumes and improving the conveyance of those passengers.
The demonstrator vehicle from MAN will be tested for several months on the eleven-kilometre long Line 86 in Budapest's inner city. The line has a total of 46 stops over which roughly 26,000 passengers are transported in each direction every day.
The MAN Lion's City GL in the EBSF project
The basis of the EBSF Demonstrator is an 18.75-metre long MAN Lion's City GL articulated bus.
New door concept
The bus was modified for the research project by having five inward swinging, dual-leaf doors fitted, each of them 1.25 metres wide and fully glazed. The generation of doors with an optimised electrical drive ensures closing and opening times at stops are short thus allowing faster entry and exit.
Flexible passenger compartment
The passenger compartment of the EBSF bus has been designed for the best possible passenger flow as well as high passenger flexibility and comfort. With its 39 seats and standing room for a maximum of 118 passengers, the bus has additional space for 12 more persons than a conventionally equipped MAN Lion's City GL.
There are seven folding seats in the forebody to allow flexible adaptation of capacity to each passenger volume. The driver can block or release these seats at the touch of a button on the dashboard depending on the number of passengers. An optical signal on the seat shows the passenger whether it is free or blocked.
Easy entry for persons with restricted mobility
The front section of the bus, opposite the middle door, has space for baby carriages or persons in wheelchair. A ramp folded out by the driver as well as the kneeling function enabling the right side of the bus to be lowered makes boarding the bus easier for those persons whose mobility is restricted.
Comprehensive safety features
Several equipment features in the EBSF bus contribute to passenger safety. A network of conspicuous green uprights ensures that every passenger in the standing room has a good hold within reach. Light barriers at the inward opening swinging doors register whether any persons or objects are in the doors' opening or closing areas. Moreover, a video system displays images of the passenger compartment in the driver's workplace which is separated from the passenger compartment by a wall largely consisting of glass.
Economical drive system
The Lion's City GL is propelled by an eco-friendly six-cylinder diesel engine delivering 320 hp (235 kW).
The horizontal engine from the proven D20 common-rail series has a displacement of 10.5 litres and meets the EEV (Enhanced Environmentally-friendly Vehicle) standard, currently the strictest in the world.
