Solaris, Isuzu and MAN win the Sustainable Bus Awards 2022

The fifth edition of the Sustainable Bus Awards has its winners, and they are named Solaris Bus & Coach, Anadolu Isuzu and MAN Truck & Bus.

The Solaris Urbino 15 LE Electric is a battery-electric bus that pushes the boundaries of e-mobility out of the city center and into the Class II segment. The Isuzu Kendo 13 CNG allows great mileage for intercity services, with the environmental benefits made possible by the use of Compressed Natural Gas. MAN Lion’s Coach raises the bar of comfort and sustainability in the long-distance coach segment. These three models have been awarded today during an online ceremony featured by UITP and Busworld with Senior Director Knowledge & Innovation Umberto Guida and Busworld Marketing & Communication Officer Inge Buytaert respectively.

UITP and Busworld at the Sustainable Bus Awards 2022

«We cannot achieve liveable cities without public transport. European and national policies are pointing at the decarbonization of bus fleets, although, we should underline, the bus sector was already helping to reduce the emissions from transport activities. We expect an increasing num- ber of registrations of clean buses in the coming years in Europe. In 2020 we witnessed an expo- nential growth, with 7,500 orders of electric, gas-powered and hybrid buses. It is an unstoppable growth. We also expect totally new products coming to the market, meaning platforms designed specifically for electric drives, using new, clean materials and clean industrial processes. We see that also the way vehicles are being developed and produced is changing», said UITP Senior Director Knowledge and Innovation Umberto Guida.

«We see that sustainability is becoming increasingly important, and this is a great opportunity for the bus and coach sector, as we are already a sustainable sector. I think we should have a louder voice, announcing together both to policy makers and to the general public that we are a sustainable industry» said Busworld Marketing & Communication Officer Inge Buytaert. Looking at Busworld 2023, she added: «In the pandemic we learned that B2B events need networking and the possibility of seeing and touching products in person. We will use digital tools to enhance the physical experience. Now it’s Sustainable Bus Awards hosting us, but we will make sure that in 2023 Sustainable Bus Awards will be handed over at Busworld again».

Solaris, Isuzu and MAN awarded

The Sustainable Bus Award for city buses (‘Urban’ category) has acknowledged the Solaris Urbino 15 LE Electric, unveiled in October 2020, the first e-bus in Solaris history to be available also in Class II version. Among intercity buses, the Isuzu Kendo 13 CNG has been crowned with the Sustainable Bus Award 2022. The MAN Lion’s Coach has won the prize as most sustainable coach.

«We launched our first electric bus ten years ago. It was a very innovative vehicle at that time, but today e-buses are a reality in many European cities. Pushing the boundaries, thinking ahead, creating new sustainable solutions for mobility are our values» commented Mateusz Figaszewski, E-mobility Development and Market Intelligence Director at Solaris Bus & Coach.

«The whole Anadolu Isuzu feels prideful and joyful. A sustainable future for our planet is a key area of responsibility for all of us today, regardless of which industry we are part of. We do not see sustainability only as a destination to be reached, but as a journey during which we can explore and develop more and more innovative solutions», said Tugrul Arikan, General Manager at Anadolu Isuzu.

«In the current market difficult situation it is important to have vehicles that customers can rely on 100%, such as the Lion’s Coach. We see sustainability as a core element in order to survive in global competition. Therefore we are carefully looking at raw materials suppliers we use and at the development of sustainable products. The MAN buses and coaches will be driving on al- ternative fuels in the future, and the Lion’s Coach is totally compatible with HVO and biodiesel», said Rudi Kuchta, Head of Business Unit Bus MAN Truck&Bus

The jury represents seven European countries, each of one is embodied by a leading sec- tor-related magazine. Namely: Mobilités Magazine (France), Busfahrt (Germany), AUTOBUS (Italy), Infotrucker (Romania), Revija Tranzit (Slovenia), Carril Bus (Spain), Bus and coach professional (UK).

The motivations of the Sustainable Bus Awards 2022

Sustainable Bus Award 2022 Urban: Solaris Urbino 15 LE Electric

The 3 axles architecture of this bus improves comfort and stability, it can also be homologated for both Class 1 and Class 2. It is equipped with a full package of the latest safety electronic tools together with real time fleet monitoring and tracking.

This electric vehicle is fitted with 6 battery packs with a total capacity of 470 kilowatt/hours and can be charged by plug-in connector. On request, the bus can be equipped with a pantograph recharging system.

Last but not least, it’s the first bus equipped with ZF central motor CeTrax.

Sustainable Bus Award 2022 Intercity: Anadolu Isuzu Kendo 13 CNG

With a full safety package made of all the latest electronic tools together with fleet management services, this vehicle’s very low emissions are allowed by the 320 HP CNG Cummins engine that provides the same performance as the diesel equivalent with clear benefits on the environmental side.
The 81% of the vehicle components can be recycled.

Last but not least, is features the highest CNG tank capacity in its class. Tanks are placed on the roof without compromising the overall height, the space in the luggage compartment, and the very good design of the vehicl

Sustainable Bus Award 2022 Coach: MAN Lion’s Coach

This coach has impressed the jury for several reasons. With the longest version it can offer space for 61 passengers with the lowest CO2 emission per passenger.

The 510 Hp engine is 100% compatible to alternative fuels such as HVO and Bio-Diesel. The maximum torque is available at a very low RPM with clear benefits for the general vehicle effi- ciency.

The vehicle is equipped with all the latest connectivity tools such as predictive maintenance and fleet management. It offers a full package of infotainment tools together with a new generation of seats made by recycled materials.