MAN Truck & Bus, the market leader in gas-powered city buses, will unveil a new version of its Lion’s City CNG (compressed natural gas) model designed especially for very hot countries at an upcoming public transport summit in Dubai.

The 59th World Congress of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) is taking place from April 10 to 13.

The vehicle on show, a twelve-metre long low-floor solo bus, is driven by a turbocharged six-cylinder engine powered by natural gas.

The engine delivers 228 kW (310 hp) while its emissions are way below the limits set for enhanced environmentally-friendly vehicles (EEV), currently the most stringent emission standard.

The engine's exhaust gases are especially low in nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulates. Applications for hot countries such as a pre-separator for the air-intake system ensure reliable operation in very dusty regions where temperatures are high.

Power from the natural-gas engine is transmitted to the driving axle by means of an automatic six-speed gearbox. The gearbox software detects up- and downhill gradients, automatically adjusting the gearshift points as it does so. This reduces fuel consumption.

The natural gas is carried in a total of eight aluminium composite cylinders (rated for a pressure of 200 bar), each with a volume of 214 litres or 1,712 litres in all. The gas cylinders are stored under the attractively designed roof fairing, which can be folded open on both sides, making for good accessibility.

Storage volume is calculated on the basis of typical inner-city demand, so that the uncomplicated refill procedure can be carried out at the depot in the evening or at night. Alternative packages of cylinders are available on request, a statement said.

The interior of the Lion's City CNG with its 32 seats and standing room for 47 passengers is accessed by means of three outward-swinging sliding doors and is kept at a temperature that passengers experience as pleasant by a tropical air-conditioning system delivering a maximum of 44 kW cooling performance, it added.

Air curtains on the doors prevent the hot outside air getting in when passengers board and alight at the bus stops – this system has already proven itself on the more than 800 diesel buses from MAN Truck & Bus operating in regular service in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, according to the statement. – TradeArabia News Service