German automaker MAN, a part of the Traton Group, achieved a notable uptick in electric bus sales in 2023, selling a total of 771 Lion’s City E buses in Europe. This marked a significant threefold increase from the previous year’s sales of 263 electric buses in 2022.
According to MAN Truck & Bus, the company now holds a market share of approximately 13.3% in the European electric bus market. Notably, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Norway, and Belgium emerged as the top markets, collectively representing nearly 80% of all registered Lion’s City E buses in Europe in 2023.
MAN asserted its position as the market leader in five countries, securing the highest number of registrations in Germany (245), Sweden (126), Belgium (69), Austria (26), and Slovenia (8). The Lion’s City E model, while achieving substantial success in certain markets, was recognized as the best-selling electric bus model in these countries, albeit at varying levels.
Spain witnessed a significant surge in its electric bus market in 2023, with MAN contributing 93 vehicles to this growth. Cities like Alicante, Bilbao, Málaga, San Sebastián, and Valencia opted for MAN’s electric city bus. The 1,000th Lion’s City E, produced at MAN’s Polish plant in Starachowice in September 2023, is in operation in the greater Madrid area, serving the Spanish market.
In Norway, 76 Lion’s City E buses were deployed in Oslo, serving the public transport operator Unibuss since December. The Scandinavian countries, being advanced in the transition to electric buses, witnessed a total of 230 electrically powered MAN city buses registered in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark during the past financial year.
Barbaros Oktay, Head of Bus at MAN Truck & Bus, expressed satisfaction with the successes achieved, attributing them to both customers and the diligent efforts of the bus team. Looking ahead, MAN aims to continue fostering sustainable mobility and plans to increase sales of battery-electric buses in the coming year.
