MAN Truck & Bus has become the first major European heavy vehicle manufacturer to launch a fully electric coach in the Lion’s Coach E model.
The newly released model will be on show at Busworld Europe in Brussels this October, with MAN planning to start series production from 2026 at MAN’s plant in Ankara, Turkey.
The Lion’s Coach E follows in the footsteps of the Lion’s City E urban and intercity electric buses, which has seen more than 2,500 sold since 2019.
Now, MAN is focusing on the electrification of coach transport at an early stage.
MAN says it is using a proven drive technology from the series-produced eTruck alongside NMC battery packs that result in a range of up to 650km.
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Europe’s first electric coach can fit up to 61 passengers, with no restrictions in place for luggage volume.
“Our e-coach marks the beginning of a new era of emission-free and low-noise travel that many customers have been waiting for. We are delighted to be at the forefront here and to be putting such a dynamic and innovative coach on its wheels,” MAN Truck & Bus head of bus Barbaros Oktay says. says Barbaros Oktay, Head of Bus at MAN Truck & Bus.
In the first quarter of 2025 alone, sales of the Lion’s City E saw 283 electric buses sold, representing more than 50 per cent of city buses sold by MAN in Europe. Now, an electric coach will also be joining the electric bus in coming out of Ankara.
“The realignment at the site in Ankara is an important part of MAN’s transformation into a provider of sustainable transport solutions,” Oktay says.
In the run-up to series production of the eCoach, an “early fleet” is to go to selected pioneering customers in the European core markets next year.
The first stages of development will see the electric coach head to short and medium distance operators, including shuttle services, works transport and city trips.
A CCS charging capacity of up to 375kW is set to give the coach a similar usage profile to a diesel bus, according to MAN head of product marking in bus Heinz Kiess.
“The eCoach is also a real opportunity for coach tourism to reach new target groups for whom sustainability is also a key factor in travel planning,” Kiess says.
The basis for the electric model is its diesel counterpart in the Lion’s Coach that was unveiled in 2017. The first step will see the electric model hit the road at 13.9m long, with the three-axle vehicle having a GVM of 27.3t.
Following the electric Lion’s Coach 14 E three-axle coach, MAN says it will be rolling out further models in the coach segment step by step until the turn of the decade.
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