MAN Truck & Bus South Africa has launched local production of electric buses at its Pinetown facility in KwaZulu-Natal, marking the first such operation by an automotive manufacturer in the Southern African Development Community region.
The R48 million investment has positioned the plant as the MAN group’s first CO₂-neutral production site globally, according to MAN South Africa. The site is powered by rooftop solar panels generating 800 MWh annually of which approximately 484 MWh is surplus energy fed into the municipal grid.
The locally assembled MAN Lion’s Explorer E bus was officially unveiled at the plant on Tuesday. The chassis is built at the Pinetown facility and the body assembled at the company’s Olifantsfontein plant in Gauteng using 95% locally sourced components. Two units are currently operating in South Africa while a third has been sent to Turkey for endurance testing.
Stabus, a local transport operator, has signed an agreement to purchase 100 electric buses from MAN South Africa.
“This plant is more than bricks and machinery – it is a monument to what is possible,” said Jan Aichinger, MD of MAN Automotive South Africa. “MAN is helping position South Africa as a leader in sustainable innovation.”
South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Transport Mkhuleko Hlengwa welcomed the development as an important step towards decarbonising the sector. “The department has committed to cutting national emissions to between 350 and 420 megatonnes of CO₂ by 2030 with the transport sector identified as a key area for transformation,” he said.
KwaZulu-Natal’s MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs Musa Zondi said the project demonstrates South Africa’s climate and industrial readiness ahead of its G20 presidency. “The Lion’s Explorer E is a locally developed solution with global relevance,” he added.
Alongside the rollout of solar infrastructure at multiple sites, MAN is investing in skills development with training for 60 to 80 apprentices annually to support growth in the electric mobility sector.
