MAN teams up with Adastec to launch automated Lion’s City E pilot in Munich

MAN Truck & Bus has automated a Lion’s City 12 E electric bus for pilot operations in Munich, with public road testing planned from autumn 2026.

MAN Truck & Bus announced today it has integrated an Automated Driving System (ADS) into a fully electric city bus as part of the MINGA research project. The software is provided by Adastec, the same partner working with Karsan on the Autonomous e-Atak project. Adastec replaces as project partner for autonomous driving the previously-announced Mobileye.

The development marks a new phase in the company’s ongoing work on automated urban transport solutions, with testing activities already underway and further deployment planned in Munich’s public transport network.

Automated Lion’s City E enters testing phase

The bus is fitted with a sensor suite comprising five LiDAR units, six radar systems, eight cameras, and a GNSS module. This configuration supports environmental perception and vehicle positioning required for automated operation. Initial tests are being conducted at MAN Truck & Bus facilities, where specific driving scenarios, including docking at bus stops, are under evaluation.

Data collected during this phase is being used to calibrate system performance and refine operational parameters. The current testing programme focuses on validating automated driving functions in controlled environments before transitioning to public road operations, MAN says.

Following the completion of on-site testing, the automated bus is scheduled to operate on public roads in Munich without passengers as part of a final validation stage. These runs will precede a pilot operation phase planned by Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG) starting in autumn 2026.

During the pilot phase, the vehicle will operate with a closed user group. The bus is designed to perform core driving functions autonomously, including steering, acceleration, braking, and signalling. A safety driver will remain on board to supervise system performance throughout operations.

The project framework includes the collection and evaluation of user feedback during pilot operations. Conditions for future passenger services have not yet been defined.

MINGA project framework and partners

The automated bus deployment is part of the MINGA project (Munich’s Automated Local Transport with Ridepooling, Solobus, and Bus Platoons), launched in 2023 and significantly delayed, as pilot driverless operations were expected to begin in 2024. The initiative involves 16 partners from public authorities, research institutions, and industry, with the Mobility Department of the City of Munich acting as consortium leader.

The project addresses multiple aspects of automated and connected mobility, including system integration, regulatory frameworks, operational models, and accessibility. Funding of approximately €13 million has been allocated through mid-2027 by the German Federal Ministry of Transport under the “Autonomous and Connected Driving in Public Transportation” programme.

Adastec contributes to the project as a provider of SAE Level 4 automated driving software platforms for buses and commercial vehicles. The findings from the MINGA project will be directly incorporated into the further development of future vehicle generations, MAN states, as the manufacturer plans to launch a fully automated vehicle at SAE Level 4 in the next decade.

“Autonomous driving is a key to the mobility of the future. Above all, it stands for greater efficiency and greater inclusion for citizens in road traffic. Projects such as MAN’s fully electric, automated city bus in Munich are therefore groundbreaking for public transportation in Germany. We expressly support such initiatives. Pioneering work is being done here that will have an impact far beyond the region and the city of Munich,” said Germany’s Federal Minister of Transport Patrick Schnieder.

“The vehicle will, among other things, steer, accelerate, brake, and signal independently. A safety driver will be on board to monitor the systems,” said Dr. Michael Roth, Head of Bus Strategy and Product Strategy Bus at MAN.

“MINGA is an enormously important project for us; after all, it is a crucial step toward a ‘proof of concept’ in regular service. Once the concept phase is complete, field trials with customers are set to begin. There is enormous interest among public transport companies in autonomous buses,” said Barbaros Oktay, Head of Bus at MAN Truck & Bus.