Companies from the bus and tourism sector have been honoured with the ‘International busplaner Sustainability Prize 2017’ (IBNP) in recognition of outstanding achievement in the area of sustainability. The trade journal busplaner (Huss-Verlag) has been presenting this award every two years since 2013. A jury made up of representatives from business, science and the media assesses all applications received using a points system which, along with the three criteria of economics, ecology and social responsibility, also takes into account the participants’ practical experiences. The NEOPLAN Skyliner impressed the jury in the ‘Technology – Coach/intercity bus’ category.
This double-decker coach with up to 83 seats demonstrates that travel comfort and excellent economics can work hand in hand. In exhaustive simulations, and in the wind tunnel, the aerodynamic properties of the Skyliner’s bodywork were without competition. It features a drag coefficient (cW) of just 0.41 – an unprecedented optimum value for double-decker coaches. The NEOPLAN Skyliner’s outstanding aerodynamic characteristics pay dividends for the operator in the form of fuel consumption at below 30 litres of diesel per 100 kilometres, while the passengers benefit from a reduction in wind noise. The result of this aerodynamic optimisation is a calculated underconsumption of around five percent during a steady motorway travelling speed of 100 km/h. And for the environment, it means one of the lowest CO2 emissions values at a minimum of 12 g per person-kilometre, currently unrivalled by any other form of transport on the market.
Frank Krämer, Manager of Bus Sales at MAN Truck & Bus Deutschland, said of the award at the MAN Bus Forum: “We are extremely proud of this award as it confirms that not only is our flagship very appealing, it also provides benefits in terms of economy and sustainability”.
