The bottom half is shaped like a boat, the top half is designed like a bus – this is HafenCity RiverBus. The HafenCity Riverbus is an amphibious vehicle used in Hamburg’s tourism industry ,combining the experiences of a city tour with those of a harbor cruise.
source-image: MAN Truck & Bus
Fred Franken, a German entrepreneur, had this idea already 18 years ago but only 4 years ago, he decided to realize it. The amphibious bus, the first of its kind in Germany, is built on an MAN truck chassis and offers city tours combined with river cruises. The amphibious vehicle is perfect for a port city like Hamburg, located around the Elbe River.
source-image: MAN Truck & Bus
The bus is built by the Budapest company Swimbus, and is powered by an internal combustion engine with power transmission to the rear axle, as well as two water jet propulsion units , each with its own motor.
source-image: MAN Truck & Bus
If one engine fails, the bus can continue to travel using the second one. In addition to the steering wheel for steering on the road, the bus has two joysticks on the side dashboard which are used to control the jet propulsion units for movement on the water.
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The vehicle reaches a top speed of 65 km/h on land and up to seven knots on water. The bus is capable to Operate on the water up to wind force 6. The RiverBus tours often highlight local culture and traditions, fostering a deeper appreciation of Hamburg’s heritage among tourists.
The bus can take up to 36 passengers and 3 crewmembers on an 80-minute sightseeing ride on land and water. Maintenance is one of the biggest challenges when it comes to the waterproof vehicle, whose body was provided by a Hungarian company, as since it’s neither a boat nor a bus.
