Gdansk powers up its fleet with 18 new electric buses

For this Polish city, diesel is becoming a thing of the past

Gdansk will be purchasing 18 electric buses for its public transport fleet, local authorities announced yesterday. On top of being quiet and good for the environment, the MAN vehicles will reportedly be one of the most modern e-bus models in the world and they will be produced in Poland. The signing of the purchase worth 62 million Polish zlotys (about 13 million euros) took place on 2 August - to be finalized within 14 months.

First steps towards highly efficient and modern transport fleet

With a range of up to 401 kilometres on a single charge (for standard models and 340 kilometres for articulated buses), adapted to the needs of persons with disabilities, the new buses are expected to considerably improve the experience of navigating within Gdansk by public transport.

The first vehicle, which travelled from Warsaw to Gdansk on a single charge, before taking its first tour in the city, was presented yesterday 2 August in the presence of Mayor Aleksandra Dulkiewicz. Upon symbolically taking the wheel, she said that this was only the first of many steps towards future-oriented bus fleet in her city.

The contract for the supply of new vehicles was signed in the historic Gdansk shipyard. The purchase involves 18 MAN Lion's City E model buses, adapted to the needs of persons with disabilities.

Equipped with advanced safety systems, such as an emergency autonomous braking system and a blind spot assistant, the buses will also have monitoring and air conditioning systems ensuring travel comfort even on hot days. The latter takes into account the specificity of public transport, such as frequent opening of the doors. Information boards for travellers will be made with high-quality LED technology, as will the exterior and interior lighting of vehicles.

The new means of public transport will be equipped with USB sockets and automated external AED defibrillators; additionally, there will be a passenger counting system. The vehicles will also have lanes for the safe transport of bicycles.

This is the first bus of this type to come off the MAN assembly line. The manufacturer's representatives announced that it will be produced in the company's plants in Starachowice. The vehicles are considered among the most modern electric buses in the world.

Charging will take place at night in the depot, where 18 charging points will be built. The charging station management system will be integrated with the GAiT IT system - charging and preparing the vehicle for movement will be correlated with the time of departure.

During the overnight charging, buses will also be preconditioned, that is the target temperature will prevail in the passenger compartment as soon as they leave the depot on their route.

Be as it may, authorities believe that as technologies advance, charging in the city will probably go down in history, as the ranges and technological capabilities of new vehicles already allow longer driving ranges.