MAN autonomous Lion’s City E hits Munich streets as MINGA project moves towards passenger trials

MAN’s automated 12-metre Lion’s City E has started running on public roads in Munich, marking a new phase of the MINGA autonomous public transport project. The electric bus has been operating since early September on route 178 between Petuelring and Freimanner Hölzl, with passenger trials involving selected test users scheduled to begin in November.

The vehicle has been automated by MAN together with autonomous-driving technology provider ADASTEC and is currently operating with specially trained test drivers from MAN and Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG) on board. The current phase is focused on collecting route data and preparing the vehicle for increasingly autonomous operation. A safety driver will remain on board throughout the project and will be able to take control when necessary.

The next major step is scheduled for November 2026, when MAN and MVG plan to start operations with selected test users.

The automated Lion’s City E represents one of the programme’s central elements. MAN announced in April that it had selected ADASTEC as its autonomous-driving technology partner, replacing the previously announced cooperation with Mobileye for the MINGA vehicle. ADASTEC is already Karsan’s partner for the Autonomous e-Atak project.

The Munich project is part of a wider European push to bring autonomous technology from smaller shuttles and controlled environments into full-size buses and real public transport operations.

Back in 2023, MAN Head of Bus Product Strategy Michael Roth outlined a roadmap moving from technology pilots to customer demonstrations in real operations, with series production targeted by the end of the decade. “Series production for automated buses will be more of a deployment project than simply selling a vehicle,” Roth said at the time.

MAN autonomous bus maps Munich route 178

The latest step follows the technical inspections carried out by TÜV and the approval procedures required for operation on public roads. The operating permit was issued by Germany’s federal road transport authority Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA) under the country’s regulation governing the approval and operation of autonomous vehicles.

MINGA – short for Munich’s Automated Local Transport with Ridepooling, Solobus, and Bus Platoons – was launched in 2023 and involves 16 partners from public authorities, research and industry. The programme, led by the City of Munich’s Mobility Department, covers several applications of automated public transport, including autonomous ride-pooling, automated solo buses and bus platooning. The project receives around €13 million in federal funding and runs until mid-2027.

The current operation is primarily aimed at digitising the route and collecting the information required for autonomous driving.

Route 178 combines different operating conditions, including major roads, 30 km/h zones, parking areas and underpasses, making it representative, according to MVG, of different parts of Munich’s bus network.

The Lion’s City E is equipped with five LiDAR sensors, six radars, eight cameras and a satellite-based positioning system.

The information collected is used to build the high-definition digital map required by the autonomous-driving system. ADASTEC integrates elements including traffic lights, pedestrian crossings and lane layouts into the HD map, which is then used for vehicle localisation and automated operation.

Once operating autonomously, the bus is designed to manage steering, acceleration, braking and signalling itself, while the safety driver supervises the system.

MAN notes that operating a 12-metre city bus autonomously also introduces different challenges compared with smaller vehicles, particularly in terms of ensuring sufficiently cautious driving behaviour in dense urban environments.

Passenger trials planned from November

The next major step, as mentioned in the opening, is scheduled for November 2026, when MAN and MVG plan to start operations with selected test users.

The automated Lion’s City E will run as an additional vehicle on existing route 178, with the aim of reproducing conditions as close as possible to future scheduled public transport operation. Around 30 seats are available, together with space for a wheelchair or pram.

Before entering public-road operation, the vehicle underwent testing at MAN facilities, including electromagnetic compatibility tests and validation of the autonomous-driving functions developed by ADASTEC.

MINGA runs until mid-2027

MINGA has been underway since 2023, bringing together 16 partners to investigate not only autonomous-driving technology but also regulation, accessibility, operations and the economics of automated public transport.

The project is receiving around €13 million from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport under its funding programme for autonomous and connected driving in public transport and is scheduled to continue until mid-2027.

For MAN, the Munich deployment also feeds into a longer-term autonomous bus strategy. The manufacturer has repeatedly indicated the end of the decade as its target for series production of autonomous buses, while the MINGA vehicle is intended to provide experience with a full-size electric city bus operating under real urban conditions.Christian Hirte, Parliamentary State Secretary to the German Federal Minister of Transport: “Autonomous mobility will be part of our transportation system of the future. It is crucial that we test it under real-world conditions and gain experience for its practical application. With the start of the next test phase, an autonomous solo bus will be operating on public roads in Munich for the first time. The MINGA project is thus reaching another milestone and demonstrating how autonomous vehicles can meaningfully complement public transportation in the future and make it more flexible. We are supporting this development with approximately 13 million euros.”

Georg Dunkel, Head of the Department of Mobility of the City of Munich: “With the autonomous 12-meter bus we’re now putting on the road, we’re taking an important step toward the regular deployment of autonomous vehicles in public transport. Following the recent launch of an autonomous on-demand shuttle in Munich, this marks another important milestone in the further development of urban mobility. I’d like to thank all our partners, especially MAN and MVG, for their close collaboration and dedication. The MINGA project demonstrates how innovation emerges right here on the ground and is shaping the future of mobility in Munich.”

“With the first test runs on the route, we’ve left the controlled environment of our factory grounds and are bringing our system into real city traffic. This is an enormously important step toward automated urban mobility,” says Barbaros Oktay, Head of Bus at MAN Truck & Bus.

Sinaida Cordes, Authorized Signatory at SWM and MVG: “The insights from the MINGA project are of great importance to MVG as a public transport operator. They help us better understand the possible applications of autonomous buses in public transport and assess their potential for passengers and operations. In the long term, we see autonomous vehicles as an opportunity to make public transport even more attractive, flexible, and efficient, thereby making an important contribution to the mobility of the future.”

“Route 178 offers ideal conditions for test operations. It combines a variety of traffic situations, such as major thoroughfares, 30-km/h zones, parking areas, and underpasses. This means it is a good representation of Munich’s diverse bus network. For future regular service, it is crucial to conduct the tests as close to real-world conditions as possible,” adds Veit Bodenschatz, Head of the Bus Division at SWM and MVG.