The city of Ankara, Turkey ordered 500 MAN Lion’s Classic natural-gas buses, its second order from MAN. In 2006 the MAN Nutzfahrzeuge Group’s Turkish sales company, MAN Kamyon ve Otobüs Ticaret A.S,., won an invitation to tender from the municipal transport authority EGO for 490 vehicles. This second order is to be delivered between November 2008 and September 2009.

In The Hague, the operator HTM Personenvervoer NV ordered 135 MAN Lion’s City low-floor buses with the MAN E 2866 DUH04 natural gas induction engine, rated at 245 hp. The engines have met the voluntary EEV exhaust-gas standards since 1999, and already comply with Haaglanden’s strict requirements on oxides of nitrogen. Delivery of the vehicles will be split between 2009, 2010 and 2011.

The EEV concept (enhanced environmentally friendly vehicle) was introduced by the EU in 1999 to promote the use of the best available environmental technology for sensitive environments. EEV limits were then only attainable with natural gas engines. When Euro 5 was decided a few years later, the limits were set fairly close to EEV, although EEV is still tougher than Euro 5 on hydrocarbons.

(A hat-tip to John!)