MAN Truck & Bus has received its largest electric bus order outside Europe after South Africa’s Paruk Group placed an order for 100 fully electric Lion’s Explorer E buses, marking a major step forward in the country’s transition to zero-emission transport.
The 12-metre Lion’s Explorer E buses are based on the Lion’s Chassis E, which MAN designed specifically for international markets. Unlike in Europe, where MAN supplies complete buses, its global strategy focuses on providing chassis to local certified body manufacturers. In this case, both the chassis and body will be built in South Africa — the chassis at Pinetown and the body at Olifantsfontein — with production scheduled to begin in 2026 and deliveries completed by the end of 2027.
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Each bus will feature four 80 kWh battery packs mounted under the floor between the axles, providing sufficient range for urban operations. The vehicles will be fully assembled domestically, supporting local industry and reducing import dependencies.
Paruk Group, which operates one of the world’s largest MAN bus fleets with around 2,000 vehicles, said the order marks a pivotal moment in its sustainability journey. “Our move from diesel to electric isn’t just a technological shift but a promise to our continued focus on sustainable transport solutions in the region. It is a bold step – but with MAN at our side, it feels like a natural evolution,” said Mohmed Paruk, owner of the Paruk Group.
MAN delivered its first fully electric bus for Africa in 2023 — a Lion’s Explorer E for Cape Town — which was locally built and adapted to regional requirements. “Thanks to manufacturing in South Africa, we can ensure that the eBuses perfectly meet the needs of transport companies and can also be integrated into existing processes in the best possible way,” said Barbaros Oktay, Head of Bus at MAN Truck & Bus. “With the major order that has now been signed, we are convinced that electric mobility in South Africa will gain significant momentum.”
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MAN, which currently leads the conventional bus market in South Africa, aims to achieve similar success in the electric segment. “We are doing everything we can to ensure that the new eBus is as well received in South Africa as our Lion’s City E is in Europe, with around 3,000 units already delivered,” Oktay added.
The deal underscores MAN’s growing focus on local production and its broader strategy to expand electric bus adoption in emerging markets, where infrastructure development and manufacturing localization are seen as key to long-term sustainability.