MAN Truck & Bus

Sylt electrified by MAN Lion’s City E buses

The MAN Lion’s City 18 E at a bus stop on the island of Sylt

3 Feb 2023

Green deal for the “Queen of the North Sea”: Five MAN eBuses are ferrying tourists and residents around the island of Sylt. And that’s only the beginning.

Five all-electric MAN Lion’s City E buses are now running on Sylt, the biggest and best known of the North Frisian Islands. They glide almost soundlessly through breathtaking natural landscapes with only the murmur of the sea and the wind to be heard. The Lion’s City 12 E solo eBus that arrived last October was joined by four all-electric MAN Lion’s City 18 E articulated buses in January 2023 to run scheduled services for the Sylter Verkehrsgesellschaft (SVG) bus company.

After the island of Pellworm, Sylt is the second northern German island where tourists and residents enjoy local zero emission transport on the Bus of the Year 2023. These eBuses, to be joined by a further MAN Lion’s City 12 E in February, operate five routes across the entire island – no problem for them thanks to their range of almost 400 kilometres. With space for 53 seated passengers and 79 standing, plus two wheelchair spaces, the 18-metre-long articulated electric bus is ideal for busy routes.

A chart with figures about the MAN Lion’s City 18 E
Various views of the MAN Lion’s City 18 E on Sylt

SVG fleet to go entirely electric

“We are especially proud that our products have proven themselves in practise in this region where such value is placed on climate protection and will now be helping to shape the characteristic image of the island with their futuristic smart edge design,” says Steffen Eimer, Regional Director of Bus Sales at MAN. The Green Deal for e-mobility on Sylt also includes other measures: Over the next five to ten years, SVG wants to convert its fleet entirely to zero emissions.

The lithium-ion battery packs used in the MAN Lion’s City E come in 480- or 640-kilowatt hour (kWh) capacities and are mounted in the roof. This puts them outside of the rear crash zone and makes them more easily accessible for servicing. By the end of the year, 22 charging points will have been installed in the SVG depot to serve as “power tanks”. A further six chargers are planned for the central bus station in Westerland and another at each of the harbours in Hörnum and List.

Portrait of the Mayor of Sylt, Nikolas Häckel

We can, we must and we want to be e-mobility pioneers.“

Nikolas Häckel – Mayor of Sylt
Reinforcements
The all-electric MAN Lion’s City 18 E on the road
Electricity instead of diesel
A man verifying the electric tank system
Power packs
MAN Lion’s City 18 E on the road
Landmark
Green sculptures at the Sylt train station
Idyllic
MAN Lion’s City 18 E drives past a meadow with sheep
Family reunion
Two MAN Lion’s models side by side at the bus stop
A man sits in the entrance door of an eBus

Electrified: SVG bus driver Waldemar Werwein is pleased with his new electric bus.

Digital charging solutions for eBuses

In addition to the hardware, SVG is also using digital charging solutions made by MAN. MAN DigitalServices allows precise monitoring of the vehicle and its battery using eManager, charging with the timer function and preconditioning the climate control in the electric buses to improve their range. Not only that, but any charging errors are also displayed and action can be taken promptly.

Text: Christian Jeß

Photos: MAN

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