Going green: 127 MAN buses hit the road in OSLO

Unibuss, one of the largest and most environmentally friendly bus operators in Norway, has ordered 127 MAN Lion’s City buses from MAN Truck & Bus. The state-of-the-art city buses will be powered by hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) biofuel. The move represents a significant statement in terms of Unibuss’s commitment to protecting the environment. Opting for HVO biofuel over conventional diesel will lower emissions by up to 90%.

The first of these buses, which can seat between 43 and 57 passengers, were delivered at the end of June.

The city buses will be deployed in several areas in and around the city of Oslo, including Vestre Aker, a district in the north-west of Oslo, Nesøya, a small island in the municipality of Asker, and Bærum, a municipality in the Norwegian county of Viken.

“We have had an excellent working relationship with MAN. We are impressed that the buses were delivered on schedule despite the fact that factories were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic,” says Øystein Svendsen, CEO of Unibuss. “The MAN Lion’s City buses that are operating in Bærum are turning heads, largely on account of their impressive capacity. After all, these articulated buses are difficult to miss given their size and their striking red colour. We look forward to continuing our business relationship with MAN.”

In addition to the 23 18.75-m-long, 57-seater MAN Lion’s City GL buses, the delivery also included 71 MAN Lion’s City L LE city buses. These vehicles are almost 15 metres long and can seat 49 passengers. Each of the articulated, low-floor buses is powered by a D2066 LUH diesel engine. MAN Truck & Bus also handed over 33 MAN Lion’s City LE buses to Unibuss. These 12-m-long buses can seat 43 passengers. They are powered by a 290 hp (213 kW) D0836 LOH diesel engine, which also runs on HVO biofuel. All three bus types meet the Euro 6 emission standard.