Although FleetWatch traditionally keeps its wheels firmly in the trucking lane, this landmark order of 100 electric city buses for South Africa deserves attention. It marks a pivotal moment in commercial vehicle electrification. MAN Truck & Bus, long a stalwart of diesel power, has clinched its largest eBus contract outside Europe, partnering with South Africa’s Paruk Group in a 100 unit deal that cements the country’s role in the global transition to clean mobility.
MAN Truck & Bus has signed an agreement with the Paruk Group for the delivery of 100 fully electric Lion’s Explorer E buses – its biggest eBus order beyond European borders.
“This order is an important step on our journey to make urban transport around the world even cleaner, quieter and safer. At the same time, it demonstrates the strategic importance of our international chassis business,” says Barbaros Oktay, Head of Bus at MAN Truck & Bus.
“We are delighted to be setting new standards for electric mobility on the African continent together with the Paruk Group.”
The vehicles, based on MAN’s Lion’s Chassis E, will be entirely built in South Africa – chassis at MAN’s Pinetown plant and bodies at Olifantsfontein – reinforcing local industrial capacity and supporting green value creation. Each 12-metre Lion’s Explorer E carries four 80 kWh battery packs located between the axles, with production scheduled to begin in 2026 and deliveries completed by the end of 2027.
A bold step for African e-mobility
For Paruk Group, which operates one of the world’s largest MAN bus fleets, the move from diesel to electric represents a long-term commitment to sustainability.
“We operate one of the largest MAN bus fleets globally – a testament to over 30 years of trust, partnership and shared vision,” says company owner Mohamed Paruk.
“Our move from diesel to electric isn’t just a technological shift but a promise to our continued focus on sustainable transport solutions in the region. It is a bold step – but with MAN at our side, it feels like a natural evolution.”
The milestone follows MAN’s 2023 delivery of its first fully electric bus for the African market, assembled locally for Cape Town. “Thanks to manufacturing in South Africa, we can ensure that the eBuses perfectly meet the needs of transport companies and can also be integrated into existing processes in the best possible way,” notes Oktay.
MAN Truck & Bus South Africa Managing Director, Jan Aichinger, concludes: “We are proud to not only bring the first MAN eBuses on the African roads, but to be the first manufacturer, across both passenger and commercial vehicles, in the South African automotive industry to localise the production of an electric vehicle.”
Editor’s comment: FleetWatch applauds MAN’s localised eBus venture as more than just a bus story – it’s a signal to the wider fleet sector that electrification is no longer theoretical. From line-haul logistics to last-mile delivery, the technological, infrastructural and operational lessons learned from large-scale eBus deployment can perhaps help to shape how South Africa’s trucking industry approaches its own zero-emission transition. MAN’s commitment to local value creation and production adds a welcome boost to domestic capability – and proves that the future of mobility, commercial or otherwise, can be built right here in Mzanzi.
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