The European bus manufacturers organized under the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) have appointed Barbaros Oktay, Head of Bus at MAN Truck & Bus, as the new chairman for the bus and coach sector. His mandate will last one year. He takes over at a decisive stage, as the electrification of the bus market continues to gain significant momentum and new European regulations – such as the planned “Buy Europe” requirements – are having a major impact on the industry’s future development. During his term, he will serve as the central voice of the European bus manufacturers organized under ACEA in their dealings with policymakers in Brussels.
“The city bus is the segment within the entire European automotive industry that is the most decarbonized. At the same time, the daily lives of millions of Europeans would be almost unimaginable without buses. That is why it is particularly important that legislators take the following into account when drafting new regulations: Those who want social, sustainable mobility in cities and regions from Portugal to Poland, from Sweden to Sicily, must not undermine the competitiveness of European bus manufacturers. We need more political support for competitiveness and innovation,” stated Barbaros Oktay upon his appointment.
Industrial Accelerator Act Shapes Industrial Value Creation
At the heart of the Industrial Accelerator Act recently presented by the European Commission are so-called “Buy European regulations.” According to the plans, for example, only manufacturers with a high proportion of European products in their value chain will be allowed to sell buses in Europe through public tenders. Significant changes are expected in the legislative process now getting underway. Barbaros Oktay says: “In principle, European bus manufacturers welcome the ‘Buy European’ requirements. However, the proposed plans are likely to lead to significant bureaucracy. And we want to invest our resources more wisely in the further development of products that benefit our customers and make transportation even more sustainable and better.”
Electrification as a Growth Driver for the Bus Industry
Barbaros Oktay has been actively driving this transformation as Head of Bus at MAN Truck & Bus since 2023. During this period, the company significantly strengthened its market position in the bus business and achieved sales of over 7,000 buses in the 2025 fiscal year – returning to pre-pandemic levels. The electric mobility sector was particularly successful: Sales of electric city buses rose by more than 118 percent to over 1,300 units, setting a record. “The bus sector is one of the segments of the European commercial vehicle industry that is developing particularly dynamically toward zero-emission powertrains. The city bus is one of the pioneers of electrification within the automotive industry,” said Oktay.
Electric mobility is also gaining increasing importance in intercity travel: With the MAN Lion’s Coach E, announced for late 2026, a fully electric coach from a European manufacturer will be ready for use in long-distance travel and tourism applications for the first time. Its trade show debut in Brussels last fall marked an important milestone on the path to electrified bus applications across all areas of use.
Call for focused expansion of the charging infrastructure
Despite positive market trends, infrastructure remains a key challenge. While electrification is already well advanced in the city bus segment, there is still a significant need to catch up, particularly with regard to the charging infrastructure for coaches. The bus industry is therefore calling for targeted political support to establish a Europe-wide, high-performance charging infrastructure for coaches, particularly at transportation hubs, long-distance bus terminals, tourist hotspots, and along major long-distance routes. “Without a comprehensive and high-performance charging infrastructure for coaches, the full potential of electric mobility in long-distance transport cannot be realized,” emphasizes Oktay. “The policy decisions made in the coming years will be decisive in determining how quickly and successfully the transformation takes place.”
