MAN NLxx3F
| MAN NL223F – NL323F (A22) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | MAN |
| Production | 1998–present |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Commercial vehicle |
| Body style | Single-decker bus |
| Doors | 1 door, 2 doors and 3 doors |
| Floor type | Low floor |
| Related | MAN NLxx3 Lion's City (A21) |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine |
MAN D2066LUH MAN E2876LUH (CNG) |
| Power output | 220-320 hp |
| Transmission | Voith or ZF |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 5875 mm |
| Length | 10.5-12.0 m (bodied) |
| Width | 2500-2550 mm |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | MAN NLxx2F (898) |
The MAN NLxx3F is a series of low-floor single-decker city bus chassis for 10.5 to 12.0 metres length,[1] offered by MAN since 1998, with internal code A22. They are based on the integral low-floor MAN NLxx3 Lion's City (A21). Available versions since launch include NL223F, NL233F, NL243F, NL263F, NL273F, NL283F, NL313F and NL323F. LPG and CNG versions are also available, with NL313F CNG being the most powerful.
Operators
United Kingdom
Wrightbus initially developed a bodywork for the MAN NL273F, the Wright Meridian.[2] It was the first MAN chassis to be bodied by Wrightbus. A Meridian demonstrator was launched at the Coach & Bus Live 2007, which entered service with Whitelaws. Regal Busways, Newbury Buses and Diamond Bus North West each operate an handful of Wright Meridian-bodied NL273Fs across the United Kingdom. It can only have 1 door (front entrance).
Spain
EMT Madrid of Madrid, Spain received a total of 84 CNG-powered NL313F CNGs in 2008. They were bodied by Castrosua and Burillo.[3]
In 2011, five 10.4m NL283Fs and one Hispano Area-bodied NL283F began operating in Santiago de Compostela and Buñol respectively.[4][5]
Israel
Dan Bus Company operates a fleet of NL323Fs in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Singapore
SMRT Buses of Singapore received a 12.0m MCV Evolution-bodied NL323F demonstrator in 2010 for evaluation, registered as SMB138Y. Following a successful trial, SMRT Buses placed a follow-up order of 200 buses through ST Kinetics, the largest order of NL323Fs to date.[6][7] These production batch buses were bodied by Gemilang Coachworks with the bodywork based on that on the MAN Lion's City Hybrid, and entered service on 2 October 2011. In 2013, SMRT Buses had already place another order for 202 buses with the same bodywork but with different interior designs and entered service progressively from January 2013 onwards. In 2014, SMRT Buses had already placed another order for 332 buses with the same bodywork. Deliveries are still ongoing as of August 2016. All the NL323Fs in Singapore have 2 doors.
Bus Contracting Model (BCM)
As part of the Bus Contracting Model, several NL323Fs owned by SMRT Buses will be handed over to Tower Transit Singapore. Thre buses handed over are SMB3001M-3051T, SMB3053M-3074C & SMB3084Z. Some of them are repainted in lush green while others remain in their their original livery with logos removed (and Tower Transit logos pasted on them). SMRT Buses also was leased new NL323Fs by the Land Transport Authority to run on the roads. As part of the BCM, new government-owned buses are registered with "SG" prefix. They are registered from SG1700U onwards. Some BCM NL323Fs are painted in SMRT's corporate livery, while the remaining NL323Fs registered from SG1712K - 1737P are painted in lush green.[8]
References
- ↑ MAN Bus chassis MAN Truck & Bus
- ↑ "Wrightbus to body MAN A22 for new Meridian". Busandcoach.com. 6 April 2006.
- ↑ "Dynetek AGM 2008" (PDF). Dynetek. 23 June 2009.
- ↑ "Transporte Urbano de Santiago (Tussa), Santiago de Compostela". stadtbus.de Bus Magazine. 12 February 2011.
- ↑ "Transvía adquiere un Area y dos Inteas de Tata Hispano sobre bastidores de MAN y VDL". Nexotur. 7 October 2011.
- ↑ "More buses added to 'enhance commuting'". AsiaOne. 3 October 2011.
- ↑ "SMRT unveils new fleet of buses". Today. 1 October 2011.
- ↑ "MAN NL323F (A22)". Land Transport Guru. 9 July 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
External links
Media related to MAN NL xx3F at Wikimedia Commons