MG iEV12: The Electric Bus That Raises More Questions Than It Answers
At the Brussels BusWorld show, MG took a bold step into commercial territory with the iEV12, a 12-metre all-electric city bus promising over 400 kilometres of range and “Europe-developed” engineering. On paper it sounds convincing, yet its real success will depend less on specifications and more on whether MG can back up the product with a credible service and support network.
MG Commercial represents a strategic shift for the brand — a dedicated division meant to carry the MG badge from private garages to public transit depots. The iEV12 is built on a new B12E chassis, using a Cell-to-Pack battery system and direct-drive powertrain, with both AC and DC charging capability. Inside, the bus features a full low-floor layout and offers access via electric or manual ramps. The driver’s area is described as ergonomic, as press releases tend to assure, and safety functions are bundled under the MG CITYGUARD suite of driver-assist technologies.
The most eye-catching figure is the claimed range: “>400 km e-SORT 1.” It looks impressive until you read between the lines. That standard refers to a favourable test cycle; in real-world city traffic, under winter conditions and with heating, full passenger load and fast turnaround schedules, range can drop by as much as one-third. European operators have seen this before, even with well-established brands. Before planners rewrite duty rosters or depot routines, they will want to see public trials, verified energy-use figures in kWh per kilometre, and clear data on battery chemistry and warranty coverage.
MG stresses that the bus is developed in Europe. Yet it remains unclear who will maintain it and where. In today’s public procurement landscape, the bottleneck is no longer technology but lifecycle cost, parts logistics, remote diagnostics and vehicle uptime. This is where incumbents such as Solaris, Volvo, MAN, Mercedes-Benz eCitaro and BYD already operate mature networks. If MG hopes to compete seriously, it will need depot-level technician training, a 24/7 parts channel, certified battery-module replacement protocols and all the invisible infrastructure that separates a prototype from a fleet vehicle.
Visually, the iEV12 keeps a restrained and functional design, an asset in the city environment. Its modular architecture should allow operator-specific variants, but the press material avoids key operational metrics — unladen weight, passenger capacity (seated and standing), full-load energy consumption, charging power in kilowatts and strategy for depot versus on-route charging. Without these, it is difficult to judge whether MG’s talk of a “new era” represents substance or just another marketing echo.
Quick summary
Product: iEV12, MG’s first fully electric city bus.
Platform: New B12E chassis, direct-drive powertrain, Cell-to-Pack batteries.
Range: Over 400 km (e-SORT 1) — in practice dependent on climate, payload and schedule.
Charging: AC and DC compatible; connector type, peak output and thermal management not disclosed.
Accessibility: Full low-floor layout with optional electric or manual ramps.
Safety: MG CITYGUARD driver-assist suite (details not yet specified).
Positioning: “Developed in Europe,” though its aftersales and service map remains a blank page.
