Belgian bus operator Hansea to add 181 MAN electric buses to existing fleet

Belgian private bus operator Hansea already has 90 electric city buses in its fleet – and last week, the company announced plans to add 181 more electric buses by the end of 2025.

Hansea’s electric bus success story began back in 2021, when VW-owned heavy truck brand MAN released the Lion’s City E Coach model (yes, there’s an apostrophe in the model’s name). The buses continue to deliver on the electric promise of cleaner air and lower cost running for the fleet operator, which has prompted Hansea to ramp up its e-bus orders.

“Sustainability is a key issue for us as well as for MAN. The order is definitely a milestone that confirms our joint commitment to sustainability,” says Joris Larosse, CEO from Hansea. “Our goal is to fully electrify our entire bus fleet by 2035. We have relied on MAN to convert our fleet right from the start. Over the last ten years, we have developed a trusted partnership based on intense professional cooperation.”

Hansea is ordering 10, 12, and 18-meter variants in the Lion’s City E, enabling Hansea to use the new bus fleet in a wide range of local and long-distance bus routes throughout Flanders.

Hansea also operates electric school buses, electric employee shuttles, and chartered electric coach services across the nation. MAN says it will deliver all of the 181 new electric buses by the end of 2025.

“With this new order, the Hansea fleet will grow to over 270 MAN eBuses, making it the largest zero-emission bus fleet in Belgium,” says Barbaros Oktay, Head of Bus at MAN Truck & Bus. “We are incredibly proud that Hansea has once again opted for our eBus. The order clearly shows how satisfied Hansea is with our Lion’s City E and that it is proving its worth day after day.”

Electrek’s Take

Replacing diesels with electric vehicles in heavily populated areas has solid, observable, measurable benefits – not just in terms of cost, but in terms of reducing surface-level air pollution and improving overall quality of life. There’s absolutely no way to justify another alternative at this point, especially hydrogen.

Don’t take my word for it, though. MAN’s own CEO says it’s “impossible” for hydrogen to compete with BEVs, and he also sells hydrogen trucks!

SOURCE | IMAGES: MAN, via Sustainable Bus.