MAN Truck & Bus (M) Sdn Bhd (MAN Malaysia) will introduce its Euro 5 engine as an option to bus operators next year (2023). This low-emission option is targeted at bus operators who want to reduce their carbon footprint.
Incidentally, MAN is the first commercial vehicles manufacturer in Malaysia to offer Euro 5-compliant engines as standard across its entire truck range. It is again applying its leadership and commitment towards sustainability with the introduction of similar engines for its Bus chassis range.
O’Brooks also expressed confidence that bus operators in Malaysia would have the foresight to join the sustainability journey like many of their counterparts in the transport and logistics sector that did not hesitate to add the New MAN Truck Generation with Euro 5 engines as standard to their fleet.
At the same time, MAN Malaysia also took the opportunity to announce its plan to introduce its fully electric e-chassis for buses. The company shared updates on global trends as well as MAN’s success in developing electro-mobility solutions for the public transport sector.
Already in actual inner-city service in several European cities, the fully electric MAN Lion City E proved that it could handle long distances too. The Lion City E went on a highly successful Electrifying Europe Tour from April 29 to May 8, 2022, travelling about 2,500 km through 8 countries i.e. from Munich, Germany to Limerick, Ireland, with stops along the way. The purpose of this tour was to prove the electric bus’ capabilities and reliability.
“By next year, we also hope to start taking orders for the MAN e-chassis but that is dependent on the development of the EV-charging infrastructure that we hope would be the primary focus of the Malaysian authorities. These are groundbreaking moves by MAN Malaysia as we continue to offer environmentally-friendly options to the transport industry as we lead the drive towards carbon neutral status for Malaysia by 2050. The introduction of Euro 5 engines and e-chassis will certainly differentiate MAN Bus offerings, which are already renowned for their quality, reliability, versatility and flexibility,” commented O’Brooks.
The e-chassis will vary its component packaging depending on whether its a high-floor or low-floor application. The electric driveline has a continuous output of 160 kW, with peak power of up to 290 kW, and maximum torque of 2,100 Nm. The Lithium-Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt-Oxide battery is specifically designed for commercial vehicles and has a driving range of up to 350 km. An electric bus for intercity and intracity use emits little noise and no exhaust smoke thus reducing 2 types of pollution.
However, MAN acknowledges there are local challenges to be overcome before the new e-chassis can become a viable offering in Malaysia. Firstly, as a petroleum producing country with relatively low prices at the pumps, there are few incentives to go electric on a major scale.
Secondly, despite the Malaysian government’s commitment to achieve carbon neutral status by 2050 at the earliest, the actual steps and implementation process remain unclear. There are also few incentives for consumers to invest in electric PSVs (public service vehicles). Thirdly, the investment and development of charging stations and relevant infrastructure are the biggest obstacles to bringing the e-chassis or even CBU e-buses into Malaysia.
Again, policies and processes (including incentives) need to be clear in order to encourage the adoption of large scale electro-mobility particularly in the bus segment. The industry players have already been impacted financially in the past 2 years and uncertainty in policies and processes will not do the government’s commitment to being carbon neutral any favours.
For more information on the MAN Bus chassis range, please visit www.man.com.my.
Keyword: MAN Malaysia To Offer Euro 5 Engine For Buses; Plans To Introduce Electric Bus