MAN Truck & Bus
Something is moving in the mobility market. Networked, electric, individual - that’s what the future of local and long-distance public transport looks like. “Bus journeys are becoming more and more appealing, even for younger people,” believes Stephan Schönherr, Head of Design at MAN Truck & Bus . The ‘chauffeur generation’ is growing up and they want to feel good and be entertained, with their smartphones as their most important means of communication. Heinz Kiess, Head of Bus Product Marketing at MAN Truck & Bus calls this ‘cocooning’: “Above all, this generation wants to be on social media, somewhere private.” The bus serves as a ‘mobile room’, as a vessel to get them from A to B. Perhaps one day it will be a train of several units that can drive into residential areas individually on demand and then join up again. Everything electric, autonomous and silent.
7.9 billion passengers
were on regular services in Germany in 2021, 99 percent of them on public transport
Bus trips are becoming more and more interesting for younger people as well.
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This generation wants to do social media in a shielded area more than anything else.
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550 kilometer range
were achieved by the MAN Lion's City E on one battery charge.
More and more people are already using many means of transport in their day to day lives in urban areas, such as public transport, car sharing, e-bikes or e-scooters. ‘Multimodal mobility’ (changing forms of mobility) and ‘intermodal mobility (several forms of mobility used one after another on a journey) are terms that have long since meant something to more than just commuters. The bus can play a key role here, with fantasy knowing almost no bounds. it can carry another means of transport such as an e-bike, enabling it to link directly to them. Networking allows it to provide passengers with information and recommendations. And it can become a destination in itself. Take, for example, the ‘Virtual Reality Bus’ project in Hamburg, organised by Hochbahn with other partners, including MAN. This sees windows replaced with screens in a converted minibus, transporting passengers into a new, virtual world.
It’s not just this project that shows that MAN is leading the way with the mobility of the future. Our team of MAN experts can already customise buses to suit individual requirements, such as the triple-axle, double-decker NEOPLAN Skyliner tour bus. Great sound systems and feng shui-influenced materials and interior fittings create a feel-good atmosphere.
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Feel-good atmosphere For the mobility of the future, sophisticated design and a pleasant travel environment will be more important than ever.
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Moving space Autonomous driving and other vessel sizes can turn buses into meeting places.
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Experience ride The design of tomorrow's buses will probably be dominated by glass and smooth surfaces at MAN as well.
In line with the company’s three key aims, digitalisation, zero emissions and self-driving, it is likely that by 2025, one in two new MAN city buses will be emissions-free. The fully electric MAN Lion’s City E is already out on the streets of Europe. With this and an entire concept of holistic e-mobility consulting, MAN can offer the right solution for the urban transport of the future. For intercity buses and coaches, there are currently several different drive options to consider. This is where hydrogen-based systems with fuel cells may offer an alternative to purely battery electric operation. However, which technology is used for long-distance travel depends on many factors. Availability and cost of the energy source, development of the charging infrastructure and advances in drive technology are key aspects in this context. However, here too, as more generally in the fields of alternative drives, digitalisation and automation: The future starts now!
Text Christian Jeß
Photos MAN
