The MAN Lion's City E on Pellworm: Just what the green island needs
Pellworm is celebrating a new era of sustainable mobility. Holiday guests and islanders can now for the first time use a fully-electric urban bus to travel around the North Frisian island. The operator Neue Pellwormer Dampfschiffahrts GmbH made the decision to acquire the MAN Lion’s City 12 E.
Seals are romping around the sandbanks in the shallow water. The wind is blowing over green meadows where sheep are contentedly grazing. Wind turbines and windmills are turning. There’s barely a soul to be seen on the flat landscape. Pellworm is a natural paradise recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Preserving this status results in the environment and climate protection being major issues on this 37 square kilometre island in the North Sea. A MAN Lion’s City 12 E has therefore been in service on Pellworm since August 2021. This fully-electric urban bus transports islanders and guests from the ferry terminal to the main town of Tammensiel, and enables holidaymakers to take tours around the island – all emission-free. “We’re really pleased that acquiring this bus is enabling us to take a small step towards climate neutrality on Pellworm”, explains Sven Frener, the managing director of Neue Pellwormer Dampfschiffahrtsgesellschaft GmbH (NPDG). This operator purchased the fully-electric urban bus in the context of a joint project with other transport companies which was funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU). The island’s electricity comes almost entirely from renewable energy sources like solar, wind and biogas. This eco-friendly energy mix is also use to recharge the MAN Lion’s City E, thus fully exploiting the ecological advantages of its emission-free drive system. The bus is recharged directly at the Neue Pellwormer Dampfschiffahrts GmbH (NPDG) depot on Pellworm.
The red lighthouse stands out from the green of the island.
The Wadden Sea around Pellworm is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Corona safety screen protects the person behind the wheel.
The all-electric bus rolls quietly through the streets.
The old church dates back to the 13th century.
The all-electric city bus is also used for tourist island tours.
- Signal color
- Along the dike
- Play it safe
- Village idyll
- Tower ruins
- Flexible in use
The bus fits perfectly with the sustainable concept of the North Sea island as a seaside resort in the middle of the Wadden Sea National Park. “
The residents of Pellworm were among those who opted for the MAN Lion’s City E.
The E-bus has overhead seating and three-point safety belts.
Electricity for charging is generated almost entirely from renewable energy sources such as wind power.
The electric bus fits well with the nature-loving island of Pellworm.
During the MAN Efficiency Run, the MAN Lion's City 12 E covered 550.8 kilometres without intermediate charging.
The MAN Lion's City E is equipped with sophisticated battery cell technology from the Volkswagen Group's modular system.
The bus is supplied with electricity directly at the depot of Neue Pellwormer Dampfschiffahrts GmbH.
- Perfect choice
- Interior equipment
- Emission-free
- Curious sheep
- High range
- Electrically mobile
- Charging solution
Text: Felix Enzian
Photos: Christoph Pforr
