First ever
This is the first time that the company is offering a German-designed VW bus body – and it’s understandably upbeat at this development. “Our new VW bus is a world first – having been styled in Germany and built in South Africa,” enthuses Siyabonga Nhleko, Head of Bus Sales at MAN Truck & Bus Automotive (South Africa).
Two Volksbus Yabantu models will be available – both in Euro 5 guise. The first, designated the 17.230, is equipped with a 230 hp MAN D08 engine and a manual ZF gearbox. The second, designated the 17.260, boasts a 260 hp MAN D08 engine and an automatic ZF gearbox.
Local production
The buses will be manufactured at MAN Bus & Coach, which was founded in Olifantsfontein in 1999. Back in 2014, it celebrated the production of its 5000th bus. Nhleko notes that MAN is the only truck and bus manufacturer in South Africa that has its own body-building facility.
“This, therefore, made it quite an easy decision for MAN to be able to build this new chassis in the plant. Not only was there a massive monetary injection from our headquarters for this project to be a success, but more importantly, there was a transfer of skill from an engineering perspective,” he reveals.
Nhleko believes that the plant is very advantageous to bus customers. “We’re the only company offering a one-stop-shop solution whereby customers can get a chassis and a body from a single supplier. This also ensures that the high level of MAN quality that customers are used to is maintained. The world-class German quality and standards stand out on both our chassis and bus body,” he points out.
Wide product portfolio
The Volksbus Yabantu joins MAN Truck & Bus Automotive’s extremely wide product portfolio.
“Our range includes the MAN Lions Explorer HB2, MAN Lions Explorer HB3 Solo, MAN Lions Explorer HB3 Bi-Articulated, MAN Lions Explorer HB4 Solo, MAN Lions Explorer HB4 Bus Train, MAN Lions City RR9 and MAN RR4 Coach. We have a wide product portfolio for all bus operators in the country and beyond. We can offer customers a highly sophisticated yet economically viable bus that ensures that the operator is always able to satisfy his customers’ needs and standards but is also able to sustain his business model,” Nhleko points out.
Challenging market
The launch of the bus comes at what is hopefully the tail end of a challenging market. “The bus and coach market has been at its lowest in recent years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The reasons for this are obviously the lockdowns in the various countries and cities of the world and the subsequent restrictions, which meant that people could not travel. This has seen a massive decline in bus sales all over the world,” elaborates Nhleko.
Difficult time for operators
Bus and coach operators have not only had to contend with smaller commuter and passenger numbers; coming out of the pandemic, they have been hard hit by fuel price hikes.
“The rising cost of fuel in the country and especially in our bus industry is a huge burden on operators,” confirms Nhleko. “Diesel represents 25 to 30% of operating costs and this is no doubt placing a burden on customers in their day-to-day operation. We are always striving to supply operators with fuel-efficient engines and we are confident that, with the correct driving style, we can achieve low fuel consumption figures for the operator.”
Good prospects ahead
While the bus and coach industry has endured a tough two years, Nhleko is optimistic about the future. “With the lifting of Covid restrictions, we are seeing a steady increase in sales. We are also seeing both internal and international travellers beginning to visit and so it makes sense for us to think that 2023 and 2024 will be the recovery years for travel and also for the bus and coach market.
“With the Covid pandemic in our rear-view mirror, we can only hope that the industry and economy pick up and that people travel and commute around the country and beyond. This will be a huge catalyst for our industry and will ensure that operators get ‘bums on seats’,” he says.
Green to the fore
Those seats may well be in “green” buses in future. Whereas, in the last fiscal year, just under 6% of MAN’s new city buses were electric globally; by 2025, that figure will be 50%. And it is expected that around 90% of MAN’s city buses will be battery-powered by 2030.
“The electric vehicle revolution is definitely here and is already taking the world by storm,” confirms Nhleko. “In South Africa, we are also not far behind as we are proud to announce that our e-chassis has arrived in the country. We will have this bus complete and ready for testing in the second half of 2023. The challenge in the country at the moment will be the electric infrastructure but we are hopeful that the government will solve our electricity issues soon. This can afford operators the chance to prepare for electric bus mobility in the near future.”
Safety first
Going forward, Nhleko is hopeful that bus operators will continue to provide reliable and safe services. “So far, the bus operators have been the backbone of the South African commuting public and are one of the most important role-players in the transport economy. They need to focus on keeping to the regulations as set out by the government and Road Transport Act and ensuring that we get the public and commuters safely to their destinations.
“It has been a tough road to travel over the last couple of years with the lockdowns and the Covid-19 disrupted economy. But hopefully this is a thing of the past. Let us all look forward to a brighter future ahead wherein we all continue to influence and change people’s lives for the better,” he concludes.
