The battery-electric articulated buses from MAN will primarily operate on heavily frequented routes with high passenger volumes. The battery-electric solo buses will reinforce the fleet of the Austrian public transport provider ÖBB Postbus on standard routes.
According to the German bus manufacturer, both bus types offer a range of up to 350 kilometres, thanks to six or eight battery packs on board. The Lion’s City 12 E provides 30 seats and 61 standing places, while the Lion’s City 18 E offers 42 seats and 113 standing places. The low-floor, wheelchair-accessible vehicles also feature MAN’s new swing-sliding door technology and numerous driver assistance systems.
In the federal state of Vorarlberg, every third bus is already battery-electric, according to MAN. The German manufacturer points out that this makes Vorarlberg home to Austria’s largest electric bus fleet where currently, around 100 electric buses are in regular service, with more than half operated by ÖBB Postbus. By spring, the electric bus fleet is set to expand to 141 vehicles, and by 2030, it is expected to reach 200.
“In the future, we will continue to contribute to sustainable regional transport with our innovative MAN electric buses,” comments Rudi Kuchta, Managing Director of MAN Truck & Bus Austria. He adds, “MAN is the market leader in Austria’s e-bus sector with a market share of over 50 per cent – not least thanks to the trust placed in us by ÖBB Postbus.” In total, MAN delivered 112 e-buses in Austria in 2025, according to its own figures.
The federal state’s transport electrification ambitions are supported by an infrastructure comprising 144 bus charging points across Vorarlberg. At the Postbus locations in Wolfurt, Bludenz, and Feldkirch alone, there are 75 charging points, installed and operated by the energy provider illwerke vkw. The ÖBB Postbus depot in Wolfurt was recently transformed into an electric bus hub with 54 chargers. The charging points there deliver up to 240 kW. In a second expansion phase, the site can be extended to up to 84 charging points.