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2025-02 SUSTAINABLE BUS

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Sustainable

US

VADO E TORNO EDIZIONI

www.vadoetorno.com

FEBRUARY 2025

€ 22,00

NEW

HORIZONS

OUTLOOKS

The top sellers of

the European e-bus

market 2024

INTERVIEWS

Iveco and Alexander

Dennis’ strategies to

remain competitive

TEST DRIVE

At the steering

wheel of King Long

C12 E e-coach


Sustainable

BUS

CONTENTS

16

30

10

SUSTAINABLE-BUS.COM FEBRUARY 2025

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

19

22

24

26

28

30

34

36

50

POST-IT

How was on-demand transit

worldwide in 2024?

TECHNO

Fuel cell buses coming to Bologna:

the start of a 130+ units delivery

Bus2025 project in Paris: depots

conversion and the 1,000th e-bus running

INFRASTRUCTURE

An order for up to 900 e-bus chargers:

De Lijn towards emission free in 2035

INTERVIEWS

Domenico Nucera, Iveco Group:

the challenges of bus manufacturing

Paul Davies, Alexander Dennis:

leading e-mobility with agnostic approach

OUTLOOKS

Europe’s e-bus market in 2024,

figures and top sellers

Energy transition in German transit

needs new funding strategies

The impact of European CO2 standards

on manufacturers’ projects

COMPARISON

Intercity BEV buses. A new market

between strategies and opportunities

Iveco Bus Crossway Elec:

expanding the offer even further

Mercedes eIntouro:

reshaping technological partnerships

TEST DRIVE

King Long C12 E and the feelings

of driving a battery-powered coach

SPOTLIGHT

On a journey aboard the Yutong T15E

in Lapland, at 0 degrees (and emissions)

TROLLEYBUS

‘Travelling’ around the European

trolley market 2024

PORTFOLIO

All the zero-emission buses

on the European market

36

Sustainable Bus magazine

offers printed issue

subscriptions as a third

option alongside distribution

at trade events and free

online access. Wherever you

are located, you can now

subscribe to receive paper

issues directly to your home

or office.

FOR INFO

3



POST-IT

AN OVERVIEW OF THE ON-DEMAND TRANSIT SECTOR

Mobility on-demand

HOW TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING PUBLIC TRANSPORT

The on-demand transit sector experienced notable expansion in

2024, with over 390 new projects launched globally. According to

Lukas Foljanty’s latest On-Demand Transit 2024 Market Report, the

total number of services introduced since 2012 surpassed 2,000, with

over 1,300 currently active. However, while some regions saw strong

momentum, others faced setbacks.

Europe presented a challenging picture. Once a leading region for ondemand

transit growth, it faced a sharp slowdown in 2024. While around

100 new services were launched, net growth dropped to just +30 — half

the figure from 2023. Germany, a former frontrunner, barely managed a

positive balance, with only three more projects starting than ending.

A key factor behind this decline was the discontinuation of various

European, federal, and state-level grants, which forced municipalities

to reevaluate their pilot programs. Many opted not to transition their

initiatives into permanent revenue services. New entrants, such as

Canadian-based Blaise and Argo, are expected to shake up the industry.

Via remains the dominant player in the global on-demand transit market,

holding a 24 percent share.

Via remains the dominant player in the global

on-demand transit market, holding a 24 percent share.

Spare, Padam and ioki follow.

Subscribe to Sustainable Bus Magazine.

Your ticket to the latest in

public transport innovation

How to subscribe:

www.sustainable-bus.com

or write a e-mail to:

abbonamenti@vadoetorno.com

VADO E TORNO EDIZIONI via Brembo 27 20139 Milan Italy



TECNHO

TPER IS RECEIVING OVER 130 FUEL CELL BUSES FROM SOLARIS

Hydrogen, Bologna’s way

H2 BUSES WILL MAKE 12 PERCENT OF TPER’S FLEET BY 2030

6

Bologna’s carrier TPER presented its first fuel cell buses in

early February, purchased with funds from the Next Generation

EU programme. These are Solaris Urbino 12 Hydrogen buses, set

to enter service starting in the spring.

By 2026, a total of 127 FCEVs (fuel cell electric vehicles) will

be operating in Bologna and 10 in Ferrara, following a tender

awarded in 2023—the largest in Europe to date. Moreover,

according to the operator’s roadmap, 12 percent of the fleet will

be hydrogen-powered by the end of the decade.

The Solaris Urbino 12 Hydrogen is currently in service in 35

cities across ten European countries. This Polish-manufactured

model is equipped with a 70 kW fuel cell and five roof-mounted

tanks that can hold 37.5 kg of hydrogen, providing a range of

over 350 km on a single tank.

Solaris is supplying Bologna with the Urbino 12 Hydrogen in

two different configurations: a three-door version for urban

routes and a two-door version for suburban lines. Specifically, 60

three-door buses will be used on city routes requiring 12-metre

vehicles, while 67 two-door buses will serve suburban lines

connecting the capital with the metropolitan area.

The investment for the 137 buses in Bologna and Ferrara

amounts to over 80 million euros, with 75 million coming from

Next Generation EU funds and the remaining 6.5 million selffinanced

by TPER.

When factoring in hydrogen production and refueling

infrastructure, the total investment exceeds 100 million

euros. As part of this hydrogen project, TPER has entrusted

TPH2—a newly-established company jointly owned by TPER

and HGeneration (part of the Wolftank Group)—with the

construction of three hydrogen refueling stations: two in Bologna

and one in Ferrara. Once fully operational, there will be four

stations in total—three in Bologna and one in Ferrara—dedicated

to refueling and, in part, hydrogen production managed directly

by TPER.

SCHOOL BUSES GO ELECTRIC

The electrification of school buses

in the United States is rapidly

accelerating, with 13,759 electric

school buses committed (i.e.

awarded, ordered, delivered, or

operating) by 1,572 school districts

and fleet operators (4,500 in 2024

only), according to data from

the Electric School Bus Initiative

backed by World Resources

Institute.

However,

the over 13K

committed ESBs

represent just

2.8 percent of the total fleet, which

stands at 492,627 units.

The data shows a clear upward

trend: 4,500 electric school buses

were committed in 2024; 3,536 in

2023; 3,288 in 2022; 1,110 in 2021.

Before that, less than 500 per year

in 2020 and 2019. Two thirds of the

committed vehicles are provided

under the Clean School Bus

Program. 2,214 vehicles funded by

that programme

are already

delivered or

operational.

Over 30 Solaris Urbino hydrogen buses have been

delivered in Bologna during 2024. They’ll become

137 by June 2026. Three hydrogen refueling

stations will also be built.

MADE IN CHINA

China’s export of new energy buses (NEBs)

grew +28 percent in 2024 reaching 15,444 units

with length over 3.5-meter, according to data

reported on Chinese trade media Chinabuses.org.

One out of four exported buses are powered with

electrified drivetrain, thus belonging to the ‘New

Energy’ category. It’s easy to assume, then, that

total volume of buses exported from China is

around 60,000 units.

BYD kept the top position

with 3,582 new energy

buses exported. It’s the

only OEM to exceed the

figure of 3,000 units.

Yutong exported 2,700

electric buses, gaining the

second position thanks to

a +84 percent growth. In

2024 over 46,000 units

worldwide (all tractions) and more than 1,000 BEV

vehicles in Europe were registered by Yutong.

Higer follows with 1,907 new energy buses, +40

percent on 2023. Chinabuses adds: “For the full

year of 2024, seven out of the top ten companies

achieved year-on-year growth. CRRC Electric

Vehicle, which ranked seventh, also achieved

a significant year-on-year growth of 366.52

percent, entering the top ten”.

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TECNHO

HALF OF DEPOTS CONVERTED TO ELECTRICITY AND HALF TO BIOMETHANE

Bus2025 in Paris

A MASSIVE DEPOTS’ CONVERSION PROJECT (1,000 E-BUSES OPERATING)

Île-de-France Mobilités, the public transport agency of Paris’

area, has recently completed the conversion of its Point du Jour

Bus Operations Center (COB) to electric power. The center,

operated by RATP, now supports 19 bus lines running entirely on

electricity. This milestone was celebrated with the introduction of

the 1,000th electric bus into the fleet.

The conversion project at the center involved an investment

of €28.6 million. Key infrastructure upgrades included the

installation of high-voltage connections by Enedis and the setup of

a new electrical distribution network to power 90 charging stations

for the electric buses. Fire safety measures were also upgraded,

As part of the ongoing electrification program, Île-de-France

Mobilités has already converted eight bus centers within its

network to electricity. The total investment for the program

is €5.7 billion, which includes €1.5 billion for building or

converting additional bus centers, and another €1.5 billion

for acquiring 3,800 electric or biomethane-powered vehicles.

The remaining €2.7 billion will be used for the conversion or

replacement of 7,000 more vehicles.

With the entry into service of the 1,000th electric bus, the fleet of

electric vehicles on the Île-de-France Mobilités network operated

by RATP has crossed a symbolic threshold. Today, there are more

than 4,000 clean vehicles (powered with electricity or biomethane)

on the road in Île-de-France region. By 2029, all buses throughout

the region will have been replaced.

Within the bus2025 programme, Île-de-France Mobilités and its

operator have embarked on a major technological and ecological

evolution, with the financial support of the European Union. Under

the programme, all of the bus operations centres operated by

RATP for Île-de-France Mobilités will be converted to electric and

biomethane power. In doing so, RATP is radically transforming

its infrastructure and completely renewing its bus fleet. RATP

is converting 13 of its 25 bus depots to electric power and 12 to

accomodate biomethane buses.

18-METER FROM HUNGARY

The first Hungarian articulated

electric bus has been introduced

in the market. Leading

Hungarian bus manufacturer

Credobus has presented the

Electronell 18 in Budapest.

The manufacturer claims it’s

“the world’s lightest steel-framed

articulated e-bus”. Its weight

does not exceed 16 tons, which

allows it to reach a range of

300 km

with 25

percent

fewer

batteries, according to Credobus.

The 12-meter model was

presented in summer 2024, and

the 18-meter articulated version

is set to debut in operations

in early 2025. Energy storage

is provided by 3rd generation

liquid-cooled NMC batteries

from BorgWarner. The battery

pack has a total capacity of 392

kWh. Motor? The Voith VEDS

HD with

a peak

output of

410 kW.

Today, there are more than 4,000 clean

vehicles (powered with electricity or

biomethane) on the road in

Île-de-France region.

What’s new at Alfabus?

Before the pandemic, the Chinese group’s

subsidiary Alfabus Europe had nested in Italy and

tried to position itself in the Italian market, with a

couple of units placed in Cremona and a market

offensive that was slowed down by the pandemic.

But the company did not stop.

Today Alfabus Europa is still based in Modena and

has meanwhile set its sights on Spain, where it has

delivered over 100 units in the past year. Alfabus’

offer for the European markets today consists of

a 12-metre urban model, the Ecity L12 capable of

carrying 86 passengers and powered by an in-house

developed electric motor. The battery modules,

totalling 422 kWh, are positioned between the rear

and roof and supplied by CATL.

In the meantime, the company is concentrating its

efforts on a series of new products ready for launch

at Busworld 2025. The 6.5-metre Ecity L06 with

a long wheelbase (4.6 metres) will have a 176

kWh battery and capacity for 37 passengers. The

e-Intercity L13 will carry 528 kWh of energy and

60 seated passengers. The 12-metre equipped for

bottom-down pantograph charging will also arrive.

Accelerating

the future

of sustainable

mobility

Innovative solutions for

the market of tomorrow

Customized

cooling.

Our high-voltage eFan ensures

efficient cooling in all-electric

heavy-duty trucks.

8



INFRASTRUCTURE

BELGIAN DE LIJN ORDERS UP TO 900 CHARGING STATIONS

Chargers, chargers, chargers

SPIE-EKOENERGETYKA WINS 2ND DE LIJN CHARGING STATION CONTRACT

MILAN

PARIS

LONDON

Belgian public transport operator De Lijn has placed an

order worth €24.2 million for charging stations with SPIE-

Ekoenergetyka.

This order is part of a framework agreement established in

November 2023, which outlines the provision of up to 1,600

charging points over the next eight years. Partnership with

SPIE-Ekoenergetyka had already been established. The first

order included 403 charging stations, set to be supplied by

SPIE-Ekoenergetyka and ABB. Under the framework, further

orders will be made through a mini-competition between the two

companies: the next part of the order was commissioned to SPIE-

Ekoenergetyka.

This second part of the order will indeed include between

600 and 900 charging stations, ranging from 50 to 180 kW in

capacity. The allocation of charging stations to each depot will

depend on the pace of depot electrification. De Lijn has the

target of operating a full zero emission fleet by 2035.

POWERING TUSCANY

Siemens eMobility announces it has been selected

as the technology partner for two major electric

vehicle charging infrastructure projects in Italy.

One of those concerns the installation of charging

infrastructure for e-buses in the premises of the

carrier Autolinee Toscane (RATP group), while the

other is focused on the logistic sector. 73 charging

points (Sicharge UC) are set to be installed during

the process of electrification of multiple depots.

In addition, Siemens supplies medium and low

voltage electrical distribution systems with switches

equipped with IoT modules. Siemens eMobility

also provides DepotFinity, a software platform for

monitoring, reporting, programming and managing

charging operations within the depots.

HELSINKI

SYDNEY

WARSAW

AUCKLAND

AMSTERDAM

we welcome

millions of people

every day.

SMART CHARGING DEAL

Schneider Electric, a leader in energy management and automation,

and The Mobility House Solutions, a provider of smart charging

technologies, have entered a commercial partnership aiming to develop

and implement advanced solutions for the deployment of electric vehicle

(EV) fleet charging infrastructure worldwide.

Within the deal, Schneider Electric’s energy management capabilities are

set to be integrated with The Mobility House’s ChargePilot platform to

offer a streamlined approach to EV fleet charging. The resulting solutions

are designed to improve energy efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance

grid optimization. Additionally, the partnership builds on The Mobility

House’s role as a technology partner for AlphaStruxure’s Energy-as-a-

Service (EaaS) offerings in North America.

The Mobility House’s ChargePilot platform offers

hardware-neutral charging for fleets. The company

brings expertise from over 2,000 fleet projects and

100 heavy-duty depots.

FOR FUTURE E-COACHES

Milence, the joint venture between Daimler Truck,

Traton, and the Volvo Group, has expanded into Italy

with the launch of its first major project in the country:

the Charging Hub in Bagnolo San Vito, in the province

of Mantua. Equipped with some of the most powerful

charging technology available today, Milence’s hubs

offer 400 kW charging via CCS connectors, with

plans to introduce megawatt charging capabilities in

the near future. This next-generation technology will

deliver charging speeds of up to 1,000 kW, enabling

long-haul trucks (and, eventually, e-coaches) to reach

full charge in just 30 to 45 minutes. The hub is located

40 km south of

Verona, along the

Bologna-Bolzano

route, on the A22

Autostrada del

Brennero and

the Scandinavia-

Mediterranean

corridor.

NEW YORK

MEXICO CITY

10

SINGAPORE

TOKYO

HONG KONG



INTERVIEW

12

We discussed market and

manufacturing landscapes

and group's strategies with

Domenico Nucera, at the

helm of Iveco Bus from

late 2021 until January

2025. Since our interview

held last December, he has

changed roles within Iveco

Group, assuming the newly

created role of Chief Quality

& Operations Officer.

DOMENICO NUCERA, CHIEF QUALITY & OPERATIONS OFFICER, IVECO GROUP

CHALLENGE

ACCEPTED!

Iveco Group has major investments planned to

create a fully electric new bus platform. And it

promises to fight competitors thanks to customer

proximity (and focus on turnkey projects)

Everyone is quick to speak of a crisis

in the European automotive

industry, challenged by ‘made in

China’ products that are not only

affordable (duties permitting) but, in the

bus sector, also benefit from a level of

industrialization that is unmatched in Europe.

However, few industrial players are

responding to this competition with investments.

One exception is the Iveco Group,

which is developing a dedicated electric

bus platform and increasing production

volumes of alternative propulsion vehicles.

And that’s not all. We discussed market and

manufacturing landscapes and company's

strategies with Domenico Nucera, at the

helm of Iveco Bus from late 2021... until

January 2025. Since our interview held

last December, he has changed roles within

Iveco Group, assuming the newly created

role of Chief Quality & Operations Officer.

Iveco Group’s new Quality & Operations

function will regroup and centralise all

Quality departments and incorporate Manufacturing

and Supply Chain. Also Iveco

Group has announced its 2024 Full Year

Results on March 7th and some figures

mentioned in the article have been updated

accordingly.

What trends have you observed on the

European bus market in 2024? And

what are the forecasts and expectations

for 2025?

For Iveco Bus, 2024 was a record year,

with market share growing in all sectors

- city, intercity, and coach - across EU27.

And we are confident to be similarly successful

again in 2025: we have an order

portfolio value that has quadrupled compared

to a year ago. In the e-bus market,

Iveco Bus has risen for the first time to the

second rank of electric bus manufacturers

in EU27. Our book-to-bill is 1.12, 50 percent

higher than a year ago. Our factories

will be full for a year, a year and a half.

And investments are underway…

Yes, we will invest 600 million euros mostly

in R&D or for the localization of hightech

production such as electric vehicles in

Annonay. A step that comes in addition to

the opening of the Foggia plant in Italy. In

2024 alone we hired 600 people in France

for the production of EVs. These are facts

that tell a lot about our strategy.

What do you mean?

Localizing the activities as much as possible

and bringing our capabilities close

to customers. In Foggia, for example, we

customize the vehicles together with the

customers. A thousand buses have passed

through Foggia in the last year. In Annonay

we plan to double our production capacity.

Mostly electric vehicles, to which

we should add the production coming from

Rorthais. Finally, we started the production

of the electric Crossway LE in Vysoké

Mýto and we have been already delivering

last year. All four of our plants are enabled

to produce electric buses, while maintaining

a significant share of conventional

vehicles, in compliance with our approach

aimed at technological neutrality.

How can the European industry maintain

competitiveness?

Today, e-mobility is for sure a risk, but also

an opportunity, and there are no longer

any doubts about the future of this technology,

at least in the urban segment. The disagreement

arises in the other segments:

interurban and touristic. On these we have

asked the EU, within ACEA, to anticipate

the review of the CO2 reduction targets to

2025, two years before the deadline now

scheduled for 2027.

How do we get out of this impasse?

A collective effort is needed by all players

to propose shared solutions. In any case,

subsidies on the purchase of the product

will not get us out of the critical phase.

Instead, what should be financed are the

key enabling conditions, and with viable

financial models. We need to change the

paradigm by supporting the costs of charging

infrastructure, the cost of energy, the

cost of training…

We are also convinced that the ‘euro per

km’ model is a topic to be investigated as

it can favor competitiveness by allowing

the Capex to be absorbed and diluted.

The market is not yet mature enough to

be self-sustaining. If we believe to make it

self-sustaining through subsidies on vehicles,

we are leaving the playing field to the

manufacturers from the Far East.

«Moving subsidies from the vehicles to the solution,

ensuring that the industrial players move together and

opening up to a financial model that enables the possibility

of paying per km: only in this way can the

energy transition truly take hold»

Can you elaborate more on this? If subsidies

no longer focus on vehicles but on

the other elements of the chain, won’t

the customer try to maximize savings by

purchasing the most competitive vehicle

in terms of cost?

OEMs in the Far East have an advantage

on the purchase cost, certainly not on

TCO, after-sales and assistance, where

the traditional European industry has an

immeasurable advantage in terms of network

capillarity. A legacy in the territories

based on decades of history and the proximity

to the customer cannot be recovered

in a handful of years. The only solution to

relaunch the ‘made in Europe’ industry is

to finance the solution, not the vehicle. For

instance, in Turin we won our biggest turnkey

project at European scale, where we

supply vehicles, build infrastructure and

so on. Once this approach is established,

competition from non-European players

becomes less attractive. Then there is the

issue of technological innovation…

Please.

The goal of Iveco Bus' investment plan

is to update the entire product range by

leveraging the successful history of our

intercity model. The new generation city

bus range that we are developing will

have more than 50 percent commonality

with the Class II family. We aim to standardize

the platform but keep customization

very close to the customer.

Should we really expect structurally higher

levels of incentives for e-mobility or

do we have in view a timing when the

e-bus market will be independent of specific

subsidies?

The arbiter of our business is the Total

Cost of Ownership. According to our forecasts,

regardless of the level of subsidies,

the TCO of an electric vehicle in 2035 will

be significantly better than that of a diesel

vehicle on the urban market. Thinking that

an electric vehicle will have a similar purchase

cost to a diesel vehicle, even in 2035,

is, in our opinion, utopian.

Let’s stay on the economic topic. If we

consider providers of vehicles and suppliers

of components for zero-emission

technologies, financial profitability seems

rather difficult to achieve. In the

meantime, Iveco Bus has announced the

target of doubling profitability in 2028

compared to 2022... how?

In 2024, our EBIT was 5.5 percent. It

was 4.9 in 2023. And this growth is mainly

due to our growth in the e-mobility segment:

we are demonstrating that it is not

true that with e-buses you lose money.

How? First of all, having a very long bookto-bill

is a winning strategy. It gives us the

opportunity to see the development of the

order portfolio in the long term, improve

economies of scale and organize industrial

activities. And framework agreements

were not so common in the past, before

e-mobility gained ground. It is giving us a

payback.

Riccardo Schiavo

13



INTERVIEW

14

«Tariffs are a big talking

point. Import duties on

diesel buses are 16 percent,

and the main players in the

UK market have historically

been European-based manufacturers.

Import duties

on electric buses are only

10 percent. This market is

much more open to

disruption due to

Chinese players».

PAUL DAVIES, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF ALEXANDER DENNIS

NEUTRALLY

TRANSITIONING

Alexander Dennis remains the UK market leader

in an increasingly competitive scenario.

A conversation on innovation, political framework,

in-house range, hydrogen, coach market

Alexander Dennis has had a strong

year in 2024, maintaining its position

as the UK’s market leader.

With nearly 1,500 buses delivered

(1,000 of those being diesel buses), the company

continues to navigate a highly competitive

landscape, where international players,

particularly from China, are making significant

inroads. However, the company has

also had to make difficult decisions, such as

pausing coach production due to declining

volumes since the pandemic.

We discussed with Paul Davies, Managing

Director of Alexander Dennis, the growing

influence of global competitors, the impact

of government initiatives like the Better Buses

Bill, and how Alexander Dennis is adapting

its strategy to stay competitive in an increasingly

competitive and evolving market.

The UK has established itself as a leader

in zero emission bus deployment in Europe

so far…

The speed of transition to zero emission

buses in the UK has been quite fast thanks

to government fundings not only to support

purchases but to support operations. Having

said that, the diesel bus market is still strong

for us. We are quite relaxed as we have chosen

to be propulsion agnostic to best serve

our customers. On one side, we invested

money to bring new products to the market,

but on the other side we have also invested

in having a good diesel bus range and that

market is still strong, although less open to

disruption and gaining less attention.

In September 2024 you stated that the

UK bus market is an “uneven playing

field”. Can you elaborate more on this?

In Scotland, for ScotZEB2 the requirement

to compete as an industry player was to

fulfil the Fair Work First standards of employee

remuneration, welfare and safety,

which for us is ok as we have the practices

already in place including paying more

than the real living wage. But what was

frustrating is that this was only applicable

to businesses based in the UK, not to

OEMs based outside of the UK, whether

in Europe or elsewhere. This is illogical as

it is disadvantageous to companies based

in the UK that like us have been investing

a lot in product technology and jobs - we

employ 1,900 people across the UK and

utilise many UK suppliers.

Do you think import duties can play a

role in this?

There are a number of issues that we argue

could be reviewed. Tariffs are a big

talking point. Import duties on diesel buses

are 16 percent, and the main players in

the UK market have historically been European-based

manufacturers. Import duties

on electric buses are only 10 percent.

This market is much more open to disruption

due to Chinese players. My argument

would be: China has a head-start on zero-emission

technology due to government

investments and support. This difference

should be reflected in the commercial environment

to ensure that our domestic industry

can flourish while we continue to

deliver competitive products.

How do you expect the Better Buses Bill

to impact the demand for zero-emission

buses?

Clearly the political landscape is changing

with a new government and a change

in place towards publicly-managed public

transport. Looking beyond the Better Buses

Bill, the Labour government has said

that they want maximum economic benefit

out of public funding. They are talking

about a reform of procurement policies in

order to give some level of consideration

for companies such as ours that are based

in the UK, pay wages in the UK and therefore

have a higher cost structure.

However, I don’t expect the government to

help us for free. Our primary focus is on

delivering first class products.

How have sales progressed in 2024?

We are still the market leader and the UK

market is clearly growing in overall registrations.

The challenge for 2025 is that

a lot of ZEBRA and ScotZEB money, plus

some of the London orders went abroad.

This year between 700 and 800 buses will

come from two Chinese competitors.

What about the coach market?

We were delivering as many as 200 coaches

per year before the pandemic, but since

the pandemic we have been around 50 -

60 per year. That’s why we decided to stop

coach production this year because we

don’t have enough volume to have a dedicated

line. We produce bodies for coaches

in steel and for buses in aluminium, so

having a line operating all the year with

low volumes is increasing costs and complexity.

We have to focus on profitability.

«We have chosen to be propulsion agnostic to best serve our

customers. On one side, we invested money to bring new

products to the market, but on the other side we have also

invested in having a good diesel bus range and that market is

still strong, although less open to disruption»

You mentioned profitability. In Europe

we are witnessing a real change in the

industrial landscape… It looks like industrialization

of zero emission buses

faces great barriers and profitability is

very tough…

Bringing new products to the market is a

big investment. Another challenge we’ve

got is in our higher cost structure, that’s

why we have to prevent a race to the bottom

in terms of pricing. We don’t have the

same level of vertical integration as some

of our foreign competitors, for example

we don’t make our own batteries but have

to buy them on a commercial basis. A further

difference we could note: if you are a

new company only selling zero emission

buses, then it’s a challenge as there will

typically be a smaller aftermarket revenue

stream given there are fewer moving

parts than on diesel vehicles.

Is the segment of zero emission coaches

a niche you are somehow looking at

within the company’s strategy?

The coach market in the UK is so crowded.

I’m not sure what role we can play in

a market that is completely private and

where operations are unsubsidized.

Back to the bus market, Alexander

Dennis is now rolling out a series of

e-buses built in house following the

earlier cooperation with BYD. However,

two years ago you mentioned that

“Alexander Dennis will continue to sell

and support electric buses built in partnership

with BYD”. Is this still true?

Nothing has changed. Simply put, we are

not receiving any demand for that product.

Since we wanted to be independent

in terms of also offering our own product,

and they also launched their products

on the market, a natural situation has

emerged where we both are pushing our

own solutions. For customers who have

BYD-Alexander Dennis buses in their

fleet, we will continue to support them

through our AD24 aftermarket business.

We are still open to work with third parties

if customers require this.

What about hydrogen?

We have a hydrogen DD bus in our portfolio.

We don’t have a single-deck fuel

cell bus in our roadmap so far. I think

hydrogen has a sales and infrastructure

challenge because the correct supply of

hydrogen, at the right quality, must be

ensured. Also, if you look at the speed of

depot conversion in the UK, I can’t see

an operator that has already been transitioning

their depots to electric, taking on

a challenge such as that of a hydrogen

electrolyzer. We have a fleet of fuel cell

buses in the UK that has been out of operation

because there is not enough hydrogen,

although this is now being resolved.

I think hydrogen has some challenges to

overcome.

Riccardo Schiavo

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OUTLOOKS

16

ELECTRIC BUS MARKET 2024: THE TOP SELLERS

MARKET SHAKEUP

In 2024, Italy saw a 161.7 percent growth

in e-bus registrations, while Germany

stagnated. Yutong and Daimler Buses led the

market. Iveco and VDL grew sharply

Leading the chart of e-bus

top sellers in Europe in

2024 is Yutong, which saw

a staggering 99.8% increase

in registrations, reaching

1,092 electric buses, up

from 483 in 2023. This

sharp rise propelled the

Chinese manufacturer to

a 14% market share in Europe,

a notable jump from

7.6% in 2023. Daimler Buses

grew by 106%, registering

918 buses compared

to 446 in 2023. This growth

secured Mercedes a 12%

market share, up from 7.

THE EVOLUTION OF THE MARKET

MAIN MARKETS' PICTURE

UK 8,390* (+70% on 2023)

France 5,807* (+2%)

Germany 5,382* (-2%)

Italy 4,920** (+20%)

Spain 4,355* (+16%) [3,604 over 8 ton, +9%]

*buses and coaches over 3.5 ton

** only buses and coaches over 8 ton

Elaboration Sustainable Bus

+26.8 percent or +22.2 percent?

The first figure represents the

growth trend of electric bus

registrations in Europe in 2024,

according to ACEA, while the second is

the result of a calculation based on data

from national statistics bodies and processed

by DVV Media Group.

The difference lies in the weight parameters

considered: ACEA includes vehicles

over 3.5 tons, while DVV focuses on

those over 8 tons.

ACEA also highlights that the market

share of electric technology increased

from 15.9 percent to 18.5 percent.

The UK market made a significant contribution

to the overall picture: while the

EU27 e-bus market saw Daimler Buses

and Iveco Bus— the strongest-growing

OEM in the chart after VDL— achieving

the top two positions, two of the

three best-selling manufacturers, Yutong

and Wrightbus, reached these rankings

thanks to their strong performance in the

UK market.

The golden year for e-buses in Italy

Notably, Italy became the largest market

E-bus E-bus E-bus E-bus E-bus Trend registrations Market Market Trend market

registrations 2024 registrations 2023 registrations 2022 registrations 2021 registrations 2020 2024 on 2023 (%) share 2024 (%) share 2023 (%) share 2024 vs 2023 (%)

Yutong 1,092 483 479 303 164 +99.8 14 7.6 +6.4

Mercedes 918 446 405 333 99 +105.8 11.8 7 +4.8

Wrightbus 861 469 112 figure not available figure not available +83.6 11.1 7.4 +3.7

Iveco Bus 821 356 347 274 114 +130.6 10.6 5.6 +5

Solaris 460 725 342 390 416 -36.6 5.9 11.4 -5.5

MAN 435 785 230 134 25 -44.6 5.6 12.4 -6.8

BYD 426 358 322 257 424 +19 5.5 5.6 -0.1

VDL 401 108 344 178 127 +271 5.2 1.7 +3.5

BYD - ADL 352 448 465 375 190 -21.4 4.5 7 -2.5

Volvo Buses 272 345 232 211 217 -21.2 3.5 5.4 -1.9

Irizar 263 211 110 201 25 +24.6 3.4 3.3 +0.1

Zonson 195 232 figure not available figure not available figure not available -15.9 2.5 3.7 -1.2

Others 1,283 1,388 764 626 261 - 16.5 21.8 -5.3

TOT 7,779 6,354 4,152 3,282 2.062 +22.4 100 100 -

Battery-electric bus registrations over 8 ton (excluding trolleybuses). Source: Chatrou CME Solutions - DVV Media Group. Elaboration: Sustainable Bus

How the main bus markets developed last year

European bus market's developments

in 2024 include the UK

emerging as the largest overall

market, registering 8,390 units

(including mini)—its best performance

since 2008. France

remained the leader in traditional

bus volumes, recording 5,807 registrations,

while Italy set a record

with nearly 5,000 units, driven by

a 160% increase in electric bus

sales. Germany faced challenges as

subsidy cuts led to a 12% drop in

BEV bus registrations, while Spain's

market grew 16%, reaching 4,375

units. Let's get into details.

The UK saw registrations soaring

70.1% to 8,390 units, with minibuses

accounting for over half of these

volumes, growing 102.5% to 4,816

units, according to data by SMMT.

Single and double-decker bus deliveries

also saw strong gains, rising

22.5% to 1,973 units and 69.6% to

1,601 units, respectively.

The UK retained its position as

Europe’s biggest zero-emission bus

(ZEB) market, with 1,570 electric

or hydrogen units registered in

2024—a 35.5% increase. In the

single and double-decker segments,

ZEBs accounted for 43.9%

of new registrations.

France saw a modest 2% growth in

2024, with 5,807 units registered.

Iveco dominated with a 51.5%

market share, followed by Daimler

and MAN. Irizar posted an impressive

176% growth, and Temsa

expanded by 37%, particularly in

the school bus segment.

The German bus market saw a

slight 2% decline, with 5,382 units

registered in 2024. The cancellation

of federal subsidies for e-buses

had a significant impact, leading

to a 12% drop in battery-electric

bus registrations (711 units vs. 809

in 2023). The share of alternative

drive buses also fell, from 42.5% in

2023 to 32.4% in 2024.

Remaining in Germany, Daimler

Buses led the electric bus market

with 379 eCitaro registrations (53%

share), followed by MAN (94 units)

and Ebusco (75 units).

Italy’s bus market saw an impressive

20% growth in 2024, reaching

nearly 5,000 registered units—the

highest figure since 2001. This was

fueled by a €2 billion investment

from the Next Generation EU initiative,

targeting mainly zero-emission

buses. Over 1,000 electric

buses were registered, marking a

160% increase and making Italy

the second-largest ZEB market

in Europe after the UK. Iveco led

the total market over 8 tons with

a 41% market share, followed by

Daimler Buses (14.7%) and Solaris

(11.2%). Menarini and Otokar

both placed 285 vehicles (5.8%

share). Natural gas buses saw a

76.5% increase.

Finally, Spain’s bus market grew by

16% in 2024, with 4,375 units registered.

Among heavier buses (over

8 tons), registrations increased by

9% to 3,604 units. Daimler led with

1,077 units (25% market share),

followed by Iveco (532 units,

+13%) and MAN (435 units, +19%).

Irizar grew by 27%, while Temsa

(+40%) and King Long (+155%) saw

strong gains.

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OUTLOOKS

OUTLOOKS

Iveco Bus reported strong

growth, with registrations

rising by 130.6%, reaching

821 buses, up from 356

in 2023. Its market share

increased to 10.6%, up from

5.6%. BYD, despite a modest

19% increase, maintained

a strong presence with

426 registrations, securing

a 5.5% market share. Irizar

also delivered a strong

performance, with a 24.6%

increase, registering 263

buses—up from 211 in

2023—while maintaining a

3.4% market share.

A battery-electric bus

newly registered in 2023 is

expected to cost approximately

30 percent more

than a conventional diesel

bus over its entire twelveyear

lifespan, assuming an

annual mileage of around

55,000 kilometers. Looking

ahead, it is anticipated

that the purchase prices of

zero-emission buses will

decrease. However, even

by 2030, the total lifecycle

costs of battery-electric

buses will likely remain

about 10 percent higher.

by volume of BEV buses last year, with

a remarkable growth of 161.7 percent,

while Spain increased by 17.5 percent,

becoming the fourth-largest market for

this power type.

The German market showed stagnation

that can be partially attributed to reduced

subsidies for electric buses, which dampened

adoption rates. In fact, registrations

of new battery-electric buses fell to 711

units in 2024, down from 809 in the previous

year: -12 percent.

Now, let's examine the evolution of market

volumes and brand trends.

Leading the chart in 2024 is Yutong,

which saw a staggering 99.8 percent increase

in registrations, reaching 1,092

electric buses, up from 483 in 2023.

This sharp rise propelled the Chinese

manufacturer to a 14 percent market

share in Europe, a notable jump from 7.6

percent in 2023. Globally, the Chinese

group—the world's largest bus manufacturer

by volume— sold 47,000 buses in

2024, achieving 28 percent year-on-year

growth.

Similarly, Daimler Buses grew by 105.8

percent, registering 918 buses compared

to 446 in 2023. This growth secured

Mercedes an 11.8 percent market

share, up from 7 percent.

Impressive growth trends

The most significant growth over the past

three years has been recorded by Northern

Irish Wrightbus, with 861 electric

buses registered in 2024, an 83.6 percent

increase from the previous year. And

2023 had already seen the manufacturer

quadruple its growth. Earlier this year,

Wrightbus stated that more than 1,200

buses will leave the factory in 2025, with

orders destined for fleets across the UK

and Germany, compared to 1,016 buses

built in 2024.

Iveco Bus reported strong growth, with

registrations rising by 130.6 percent,

reaching 821 buses, up from 356 in 2023.

Its market share increased to 10.6 percent,

up from 5.6 percent. BYD, despite

a modest 19 percent increase, maintained

a strong presence with 426 registrations,

securing a 5.5 percent market share.

Irizar also delivered a strong performance,

with a 24.6 percent increase,

registering 263 buses—up from 211 in

2023—while maintaining a 3.4 percent

market share.

A particularly remarkable performance

was achieved by VDL, which saw 271

percent growth, reaching 401 electric

bus registrations.

On the flip side, Solaris suffered a sharp

36.6 percent decline in registrations, falling

from 725 in 2023 to just 460 in 2024.

Consequently, its market share shrank

from 11.4 percent to 5.9 percent. However,

it is worth noting that 2023 was an

exceptionally strong year for the Polish

OEM, with 785 e-bus registrations.

MAN also saw a significant 44.6 percent

decline, with registrations dropping

from 785 in 2023 to 435 in 2024, resulting

in a market share drop from 12.4

percent to 5.6 percent. The same observations

made about Solaris apply to the

Munich-based group as well.

Ailing Ebusco saw its share decline and

fell out of the ranking: from 3 percent

in 2023 to 2 percent in 2024, with only

153 e-buses registered. However, as of

mid-2024, the Dutch OEM still had over

1,600 e-buses in its order book.

Karsan also recorded a slight decline,

with 141 registrations (-24 percent), but

it should be noted that vehicles over 8

tons represent only a fraction of Karsan’s

total sales. The company's e-Jest

remains a top seller in the mini-bus segment.

PWC ANALYSIS ON THE FUTURE OF E-BUSES IN GERMANY

FUNDING

STRATEGIES

Germany’s e-bus market slows as federal

funding phases out. Operators now rely

on lower federal subsidies, while industry

groups urge €1bn in annual support

Three years ago, in 2022, we officially

declared the beginning of

the "decade of the electric bus."

The year 2020 already saw an

exponential growth rate in the number of

electric buses for the second year in a row,

particularly battery-electric buses (BEB).

Beginning with approximately 500 BEBs

at the close of 2020, the PwC E-Bus Radar

forecasted a rise to 2,840 BEB over

the subsequent four years.

The latest edition of the PwC E-Bus Radar

reveals that public transport operators

have surpassed their ambitious targets,

with nearly 2,950 BEB in operation within

the German public transport system

by the end of 2024. Does this mean the

decarbonization of Germany's

bus fleet continues unabated

and the rise of

the electric bus is

unstoppable? Upon

closer examination,

the current

PwC E-Bus Radar

indicates the first

signs of a slowdown

in the robust

63%

market share of

German OEM

(from 18.5% in

2018)

market momentum

seen in Germany over recent

years, and there are legitimate reasons

for this shift.

The role of federal fundings

The electric bus market truly gained momentum

in 2018 when the Federal Ministry

for the Environment, Nature Conservation,

and Nuclear Safety (BMU)

introduced funding guidelines for acquiring

battery-electric buses for local public

transportation. After the new federal

18

19



OUTLOOKS

government was formed in 2021, the Federal

Ministry for Economic Affairs and

Climate Protection (BMWK) took over

the funding program. This initiative

targeted transport companies and

provided crucial support during

the early market phase

to facilitate the procurement

of battery-electric

city buses. The program,

with a funding volume of

€478 million, successfully

supported the procurement

of 1,489 BEB and the development

of associated charging infrastructure

across 65 transport companies

in 13 federal states. The findings from the

accompanying scientific research, conducted

by a team led by PwC Germany

in collaboration with ifeu, CP/Compartner,

eebc, and Prognos, have now been

published. On one side, the operational

performance of electric buses has reached

a level comparable to that of conventional

diesel-powered buses. On the other side,

from a business standpoint, it is evident

that achieving cost parity for deploying

battery-electric buses remains unfeasible

at current vehicle prices without the aid

of subsidies.

A comprehensive cost analysis reveals

that a battery-electric bus newly registered

in 2023 is expected to cost approximately

30 percent more than a

conventional diesel bus over its entire

twelve-year lifespan, assuming an annual

mileage of around 55,000 kilometers.

Looking ahead, it is anticipated that the

purchase prices of zero-emission buses

will decrease. However, the accompanying

research indicates that even by 2030,

the total lifecycle costs of battery-electric

buses will likely remain about 10 percent

higher. A crucial finding is that without

supportive financing and funding mechanisms,

the transition to electric buses may

strain public transport services, potentially

undermining climate policy objectives.

In numerous regions, future e-bus procurement

is being driven by the BMDV

funding, which is set to conclude in 2024

390 kWh

average battery

capacity of

12-meter e-buses

Further +6,000 ZE buses to come

While the E-Bus Radar still indicates

plans to procure an additional 5,300 battery-electric

buses and 880 fuel cell buses

by 2030, the survey reveals that many

of these plans have been significantly

postponed, in some cases extending well

into the 2030s. This delay is largely attributed

to financing challenges, exacerbated

by the sudden discontinuation of

the current electric bus funding program

from the Federal Ministry for Digital

and Transport (BMDV). The

program's first three calls

resulted in funding for approximately

2,200 electric

buses, which is significantly

fewer than initially

anticipated. Although

procurements over the

next two to three years will

continue to benefit from already

approved funding, the expiration

of BMDV support—driven by a

political shift following the Federal Constitutional

Court's ruling on the Climate

and Transformation Fund—poses a substantial

obstacle. This change comes at a

critical juncture when the e-bus market

is transitioning from the initial ramp-up

phase into maturity, a necessary step for

the long-term success of public transport

decarbonization efforts.

Rethinking funding options

Implementing an investment funding strategy

with a degressive financing path for

electric buses and the necessary infrastructure

could bolster the market and apply

long-term price pressure on manufacturers.

In fact, this trend is already emerging

as public transport operators increasingly

turn to investment funding programs at

the state level, which typically offer lower

funding rates compared to previous federal

initiatives. However, such state programs

are not universally available and often

lack sufficient funding. A federal funding

approach with a gradual and transparent

reduction in funding rates could mitigate

market setbacks by providing a predictable

phase-out of subsidies while continuing

to incentivize early adopters. By

2025, transport companies will likely rely

on state-level funding programs or, in the

worst-case scenario, face the need to fully

finance the still-costlier electric buses independently.

Urging the new federal government

Germany has cast its vote, and the newly

formed federal government must ensure

that transport companies are not left unsupported

during the transition to sustainable

drive technologies and compliance

with the Clean Vehicles Procurement

Act—the German implementation of the

Clean Vehicles Directive (CVD). Following

the Bundestag elections on February

23, the extent to which the political parties

are committed to strengthening public

transport, both structurally and environmentally,

will become apparent. The

parties' approaches to public transport

and its decarbonization vary in detail. The

CDU/CSU election manifesto indicates

a commitment to e-mobility, alternative

drives, and fuels across all road vehicles.

Meanwhile, the SPD and Greens emphasize

public transport more prominently in

their manifestos, underscoring the need to

fund electric buses. In contrast, electric

buses receive little or no attention in the

election manifestos of other parties.

While the PwC's E-Bus

Radar still indicates plans

to procure an additional

5,300 BEV buses and 880

fuel cell buses by 2030, the

survey reveals that many

of these plans have been

significantly postponed, in

some cases extending well

into the 2030s. This delay

is largely attributed to

financing challenges.

What industry associations ask

As expected, industry associations have

provided more detailed recommendations.The

Association of German Transport

Companies (VDV) is calling for the

modernization of the Municipal Transport

Financing Act (GVFG) and thus a

fundamental increase in annual funding.

They propose allocating an additional

one billion euros annually to support the

adoption of emission-free buses and the

development of the necessary infrastructure.

This financial support would significantly

alleviate the burden on transport

companies, facilitate the decarbonization

of road-based public transport, and ensure

compliance with the Clean Vehicles

Directive (CVD) targets. Additionally,

the Federal Association

of German Bus and

€577K

average purchase

price for 12m

e-buses (779k for

18m)

Coach Operators

(BDO) suggests

that introducing a

cap on electricity

prices could accelerate

the transition

to cleaner

propulsion technologies

for buses.

Given the current circumstances,

it is increasingly crucial for

transport companies and authorities to refine

their strategies for procuring electric

buses and the necessary infrastructure.

This includes optimizing the related tender

processes to enhance economic viability

and efficiency, especially in the face

of diminishing funding opportunities.

The resulting price pressures are likely to

heighten global competition among vehicle

manufacturers, including European

and Chinese suppliers. Achieving greater

standardization of buses within Germany's

public transport system, along with

adopting innovative procurement models,

can further support these efforts.

Maximilian Rohs, Public Transport Leader,

Director Infrastructure & Mobility

at PwC Germany; Felix Krewerth, Manager

Infrastructure & Mobility at PwC

Germany

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OUTLOOKS

By 2030, 90 percent of all

city buses sold must be

zero-emission vehicles. As

widely known, this target

increases to 100 percent

by 2035. This means

that by 2035, all new city

buses sold must be zeroemission

vehicles. On the

other hand, the target for

intercity buses and coaches

is based on reducing

the average yearly emissions

of newly registered

vehicles, that should be at

least 43 percent lower in

2030 than in 2025.

THE IMPACT OF EU EMISSION STANDARDS

TRADING

EMISSIONS

Repeated non-compliance to EU emission

standards for heavy-duty vehicles could

lead to penalties for up to 1bn euros in 10

years, Rabobank estimates

The EU launched and approved its

first regulation on CO2 emissions

standards for heavy-duty vehicles

(HDVs) in 2019. This legal measure

aimed to reduce emissions in the HDV

sector by setting targets for the average fleet

emissions of each individual original equipment

manufacturer (OEM). In 2024, this initial

regulation was revised and updated to

better align with industry developments and

decarbonization targets. The newest regulation

enters its first phase in 2025.

Spotlight on the European targets

City buses have a target for zero-emission

bus sales while coaches have an emission

reduction target. By 2030, 90 percent of all

city buses sold must be zero-emission vehicles.

As widely known, this target increases

to 100 percent by 2035. This means that by

2035, all new city buses sold must be zero-emission

vehicles. On the other hand, the

target for intercity buses and coaches is based

on reducing the average yearly emissions of

newly registered vehicles. That means that

by 2030, the average emissions of all newly

registered vehicles in those segments must

be 43 percent lower than in 2025.

The commission estimates the average

emissions from the sales of city buses and

coaches (including intercity vehicles) separately.

To estimate emissions, the regulation

takes into consideration the purpose

of the vehicle and its weight with the tailpipe

emissions it produces per passenger

per kilometer driven. The mission profile

weight converts passenger per kilometer

driven into metric tons per kilometer

driven. The resulting metric then paired

with the emissions reduction pathway

for each category to determine if average

fleet emission are above or below target. If

emissions are above the target, the EU will

fine the OEM €4,250 per gram of CO2 per

metric ton per kilometer driven (g/tkm).

A credit and debt system

To facilitate the transition, the legislation

includes a credit and debt system. In

essence, this system benefits OEMs that

transition faster than the targets set by the

regulation by allowing them to earn credits,

which can later be used to offset potential

debts in the future. For example, a bus company

that reaches the 100 percent target of

zero-emission city bus sales before 2035

can earn credits to offset any future debts

incurred from selling polluting city buses

or coaches. It’s important to note that this

system applies only to buses. Trucks have

a separate credit and debt system. Credits

earned have a validity of seven years.

In addition to the credit system, OEMs can

trade vehicles with each other. Conventional

vehicles (powered with fossil fuels) can be

traded within the same manufacturing group

but not between companies of different

parent companies. Zero-emission vehicles,

however, can be transferred, but only up to

5 percent of the receiving company’s sales.

In practice, transferring means the OEM that

receives the zero emission vehicles registers

them as own sales. By adding zero-emission

vehicles to their sales fleet, average emissions

are lowered, helping an OEM avoid

debts. The transfer system is thus indirectly

linked to the credit and debt system.

Estimating the impact of the policy

We built a representative OEM to simulate

its progression in meeting the regulatory

emissions targets. We used the following

assumptions:

1) The model OEM’s total sales are 7,000

vehicles a year, comprising 1,400 city buses

and 5,600 coaches. Sales are distributed

as 30 percent city buses and 70 percent

coaches, reflecting EU bus market trends.

2) All non-zero-emission city buses emit

greenhouse gases at an average rate of 26g

CO2/pkm. Coaches are assumed to emit

33.6g CO2/pkm on average.

3) All manufactured vehicles would either

be zero-emission (less than 1g CO2/pkm)

or emit at the aforementioned average

rates, this assumption lowers uncertainty

in the model estimations.

At the time of this report the European

Commission has not made public the average

emissions target, we have used the

industry emissions to estimate the base

target emissions, hence in 2025 emissions

target is 28.1 gCO2/tkm. To model a potential

pathway we assume that, by the

start of 2025, 70 percent of new city buses

sales will be zero-emission vehicles,

while all new coach sales will be diesel.

We assume diesel sales of city buses are

converted into zero-emission vehicles at a

rate of 16 percent annually and the same

for the coach division. To estimate potential

costs, we assume that the rate of diesel

to zero emission vehicles sales does not

change in the coach division.

There is a threshold for direct fines which

allows manufacturers to accumulate debts

equal to 5 percent of the target emissions,

debts can be carried over one year. On the

other hand, there is no limit to the credits

that can be earned; they are awarded for

every gram of CO2 below the required target

and have a validity of seven years. Thus

if a manufacturer misses the target by 5 percent

or less, it might not have to pay fines

if the next year it compensates with credits.

Over 1bn euros in fines?

In our model, the average fleet emissions

target are missed by 10.4 gCO2/tkm in

2030, if we multiply that by the vehicle sales

(7,000) it gives us 72,400 gCO2/tkm of

excess emissions. Because of the debt system,

the OEM can take 5,000 gCO2/tkm

as debt (5 percent of 2030 target which per

vehicle is 0.71 gCO2/tkm). Subtracting the

emissions that can be carried as debt and

multiplying the resulting excess emissions

by €4,250, the fine to be paid amounts to

DECARBONIZATION ROADMAP

Figure 1: Target for zero-emission city bus sales

zero-emission vehicles'

share of new bus purchases

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

90

100

2025 2027 2029 2031 2033 2035 2037 2039

EU legislation includes

a credit and debt system

that benefits OEMs that

transition faster than the

targets set by the regulation

by allowing them to

earn credits, which can

later be used to offset potential

debts in the future.

€287 million in 2030.

In our scenario, fines for the OEM accumulate

quickly reaching a total of €1bn over

the 10 years period from 2030 to 2040. On

average, the fine per diesel vehicle sold is

€40,000 for the OEM, though fines can

vary significantly each year depending on

how much the OEM exceeds the emission

targets set for that year and the amount of

vehicles it sells.

José Serrano, Energy Transition Analyst,

Rabobank

Figure 2: Emissions reduction target for coaches

0

-10

-20

-30

-40

-50

-60

-70

-80

-90

-100

On the left, target for zero-emission city bus sales. On the right, emission reduction target

Source: European Commission, RaboResearch 2025 Source: European Commission, RaboResearch 2025

for intercity buses and coaches.

Source: European Commission, RaboResearch

WHAT Figure 3: Average IS GOING OEM emissions TO in HAPPEN the context of TO the new EMISSIONS?

regulation

average fleet emissions gCO2/tkm

25

20

15

10

5

0

percentage

2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 2036 2037 2038 2039 2040

Source: RaboResearch 2025

Debt No debt or credit Credit Average OEM emissions

Average OEMs' emissions in the context of the new regulation

Source: European Commission, RaboResearch

2025

2026

2027

2028

2029

-43

2030

2031

2032

2033

2034

-64

2035

2036

2037

2038

-90

2039

2040

22

23



COMPARISON

24

IVECO CROSSWAY ELEC - MERCEDES EINTOURO

FUTURE FIGHT

Manufacturers are gearing up with a specific offer of high-floor electric

intercity buses. Challenges are many (range? passenger capacity?), but

opportunities as well (see the location of the batteries). The infrastructure

topic dominates, for a segment made up of vehicles that often ‘sleep

outside’. Iveco and Mercedes promise to do battle in electric vehicles too:

spotlight on Crossway Elec and eIntouro

Battery electric vehicles in

Class II? While waiting for

the demand to come, let’s start

talking about supply. If the urban

electric bus is now an established reality,

there are still doubts and more than

a few uncertainties for suburban service.

Nevertheless, many manufacturers have

recently presented their solutions for intercity

transport, while others are developing

them, even though they are intended

for a market that is perhaps not yet

ready to receive them. Therefore, let us

try to analyze, point by point, the issues

related to this type of vehicle.

Range and passenger capacity

Let’s start with the range: an intercity

bus usually requires 300-350 km of mileage

per day, although the average daily

distance covered is generally lower. These

distances, however, are achievable in

most cases, with battery packs that now

allow storage of more than 400 kWh.

Point two. Inversely proportional to battery

capacity and range, passenger capacity

is perhaps the main sore point of a

Class II BEV. The number of transportable

passengers barely gets a ‘passing

grade’, with the total amount of seats that

can be reduced by a dozen or so compared

to a diesel bus, generally leaving

the number of seats unchanged. This is

even clearer on those models with only

275/70 tires, where the load index does

not allow for more than 7.1 t on the front

axle. But if the suburban service involves

transporting mostly seated passengers,

the problem

remains In this introduction, an overview of the challenges and critical

only in the case issues related to the development and operation of batterypowered

intercity buses. In the following pages, we put the two

of peak usage.

Let’s talk market leaders (and recent product launches) under the lens:

about batteries, the Crossway Elec in the Normal Floor version and the electric

which are closely

related to the market are Otokar, BYD, Yutong, Temsa and King Long. Next

declination of the Mercedes Class II model: the eIntouro. Also on

the factors above.

On a Class

year it will be the turn of Solaris.

II, in addition,

you must consider

where to place them. If on a

Low Entry (perhaps derived from

a fully lowered urban bus), the

manufacturer’s choice is almost

necessarily (to a certain extent)

to put them on the roof, on a

high floor bus there is a wider

range of possibilities. The most

suitable place would seem to be

under the aisle, thus exploiting

the ‘old’ engine compartment

and sacrificing part of the luggage

space. This optimizes weight

distribution, leaves the exterior

size unchanged, retains the roof

hatches/emergency exits, and

slightly reduces useful luggage

volume, assuming there is any. In

addition, the center of gravity remains

lower, which benefits ride

comfort. The alternative is to

place part of the batteries on the

roof, near the front axle. In this

case, the luggage compartment

is enlarged and the batteries are

better protected from possible,

A FUTURE-ORIENTED CHALLENGE

Iveco Crossway Elec

Mercedes eIntouro

Length mm 12,097 – 12,962 12,180 – 13,090

Height mm 3,455 3,365

Width mm 2,550 2,534

Wheelbase mm 6,200 – 7,065 6,080 – 6,990

Front overhang mm 2,605 2,800

Rear overhang mm 3,292 3,300

Seats n 57 – 63 49 – 63

Luggage compartment m3 6 (+3 in overhead racks) 4 - 6

Tyres 295/80 R 22.5 295/80 R 22.5

Front axle ZF RI75E ZF RL82EC

Rear axle - Mercedes RO440

Engine Siemens Elfa 3 (Cummins) ZF CeTrax

Output peak kW 290 380

Output continuous kW 230 320

Torque peak Nm 3,000 4,500

Battery provider FPT Industrial CATL

Battery formula NMC LFP

Battery capacity kWh / modules n From 207 to 415 / 3 to 6 207 or 414 / 1 or 2

albeit unlikely, side impacts. In any case,

the BMS must be able to handle batteries

working in different temperature conditions

between packs, but this does not

seem to be a problem.

Charging: plug-in technology is currently

the only option envisaged, in part because

of the type of service that is too disengaged

from routes where any ‘totems’

for pantograph recharging can be provided.

But, if a city bus is certain to return

to the depot every night, the same cannot

be said for a suburban bus, which is often

sheltered in small sheds outside the city

or parked in the town square, where it is

almost impossible to provide a charging

infrastructure today. Therefore, this means

replanning shifts so that the bus is

charged mid-service, perhaps between

the morning and lunchtime runs, taking

advantage of the chargers in the central

depot left vacant by city buses; at least

for transport companies that cover both

services. It is also clear that, in this way,

it is impossible to take advantage of the

preconditioning, so dear to manufacturers.

Otherwise, a multiplication of

charging stations must be considered, assuming

the energy distribution network

allows it, as well as landscape and environmental

constraints.

Low Entry or Normal Floor

Low Entry or Normal Floor? In conventionally

driven intercity buses, the

Normal Floor is still the most popular

model, although low-floor vehicles are

gaining more and more space.

The latter allow for easier access, especially

for wheelchair users who can rely

on a fast and inexpensive manual ramp

instead of a slow and impactful electro

hydraulic lift. Conversely, there are

fewer seats and, upon purchase, higher

costs. In addition, Low Entry models

usually mount 275/70 urban tires, where

the load index does not benefit from

the 15 percent-plus waiver reserved for

Class I tires.

Let’s finish with a focus on the bus supply.

The recent launches of the Crossway

Elec by Iveco and eIntouro by

Daimler Buses (which we will discuss

in the next few pages) bring to at least

five the number of high-floor BEV intercity

models available (or being introduced)

in the European market, to which

are added those with partially lowered

floors. Among the NF models, we may

mention the Yutong Ice12, the Otokar

eTerrito and the King Long U12E, as

well as the Temsa LD SB E. Among the

Low Entry models, on the other hand,

we find (again) the Crossway, the MAN

Lion’s City E LE, the BYD B13 and the

Castrosua Nelec. The latter is available

on different chassis such as Scania, Volvo

and BYD.

And for both types, Solaris has already

announced the new BEV and FCEV

long-distance platform, consisting of

three lengths, although for the first prototypes

it seems we will have to wait

until 2026.

In short, supply is (getting) there: only

demand is missing.

25



COMPARISON

IVECO CROSSWAY ELEC

AS YOU WANT ME

It’s the most popular intercity bus in Europe.

A highly industrialised product that now

is ready in a battery-powered version,

extending an already wide product range

Europe’s most popular intercity bus

could not fail to develop its BEV

version, thus completing an enviable

offering that ranges from

diesel to mild hybrid, from CNG to electric.

And it does so by taking advantage of those

technologies already available on the E-

Way (and already presented a year ago on

the Crossway LE Elec), from which it inherits

practically everything.

The motor is the liquid-cooled Siemens

Elfa 3 (now belonging to Cummins’ brand

Accelera), with continuous output of 230

kW and maximum output of 290 kW and

peak torque of 3,000 Nm. It is positioned

Two lengths, 12

and 13m, already

homologated in

both Class II and

III. On the 12m,

up to 57 people

can be seated,

63 on the longer

version. Hat racks

have a maximum

capacity of

around 3 cubic

metres.

in the rear center, with inline transmission

and the same hypoid axle as the Low Entry

and combustion engine versions. The

front axle is ZF’s RI75E, with independent

suspensions, in common with several

other brands.

Batteries are made in Turin

The batteries are based on NMC type

532 (where the individual digits indicate

the proportion of nickel, manganese and

cobalt) batteries of 69.3 kWh each. They

are produced in an FPT factory speciali-

zing in battery assembly using Microvast

cells, and available in a minimum number

of three up to a maximum of six, for

a total maximum capacity of more than

415 kWh at 647.5 V nominal voltage. In

the minimum configuration, two modules

are placed on the roof (they are partially

recessed so as not to increase the external

height at the front) and one is in the

engine compartment, which has enough

space to accommodate the fourth, without

involving any change in the underfloor

space. The fifth and sixth modules, when

opted for, take up part of the luggage

compartment, while still reserving much

of the space for luggage and the electrohydraulic

wheelchair lift, when required.

Charging is done through CCS2 Combo

type socket outlets located in the rear

overhang on both sides and accessible

through two flaps cut into the service doors,

which are equipped with a proximity

sensor and emergency high-voltage disconnect

switch.

Up to 63 passengers on board

Two lengths are available, 12 and 13 meters,

and they are already approved in both

Class II and Class III. Up to 57 passengers

can be seated on the 12-meter bus, while

on the longer version the seats increase to

63, making full use of the available space.

The underfloor compartments, which

reach up to more than six cubic meters on

the 13-meter model, are joined by large

luggage racks that provide a respectable

maximum capacity, reaching about three

cubic meters.

The rear door can be single- or doubleleaf.

You can choose equal or asymmetrical

leaves, so as to facilitate the presence

of a possible cantilevered (folding) twoseater

on the stairwell.

The Crossway Elec benefits from all the

recent aesthetic updates of Iveco production,

starting with the pleasant front end

that integrates the two large light clusters

arranged obliquely and joined by a black

finish insert, almost as if to compose a

smiling mouth. The interior also confirms

the choices implemented on the intercity

range, with the classic seats (with fixed

or reclining backrests) made in-house. In

addition, the new driver’s seat is equipped

with a nice enveloping and very ergonomic

dashboard. To support customers,

there are two specific IT services that

Iveco provides: the

Energy Mobility Solutions

branch, which

performs service

analysis to obtain the

correct bus outfitting

configuration, and

the digital fleet management

tools Iveco

On, a cloud service

that allows location

monitoring, residual

charge level control,

and visualization of

any vehicle operating

anomalies.

Deliveries of the

first series vehicles,

which are assembled

as usual in Czech Republic,

are expected

as early as the next

few months.

26

27



COMPARISON

MERCEDES EINTOURO

SEEKING REVENGE

The eIntouro represents Daimler Buses’

offensive in a monopolised segment.

A product launch full of surprises (see

technology partners...)

on the eActros truck (provider is CATL).

The batteries are assembled in two large

modules capable of 207 kWh each. Only

one is the standard group and it is mounted

immediately behind the front axle, taking

up about a linear meter of luggage compartment.

95 percent usable energy

The second optional module is housed in

the large rear compartment, which houses

motor, traction inverter and cooling for

the high-voltage systems. LFP technol-

ogy, in addition to being cheaper, makes

it possible to use 95 percent of the stored

energy and, presenting a good decay

curve, allows a useful life of up to fifteen

years, at least under certain service conditions.

Looking at the data sheet, the range

achievable with two battery packs reaches

up to 500 kilometers, depending, however,

on the route, weather conditions and...

the driver’s behavior.

Charging is performed via CCS2-type

socket outlets capable of receiving up to

300 kW, in the case of chargers equipped

with a cooled cable. The socket location,

for a maximum of two, is a choice of four

possibilities: front, rear, right side or left

side. In the latter cases, it is immediately

behind the front axle.

Motor? Here Daimler Buses turned to

the central ZF CeTrax, with 320 kW of

maximum power, connected to the conventional

Mercedes RO440 axle. A fully

automatic three-speed transmission is integrated

on the latter in order to achieve

the best performance on a mixed service

such as the suburban.

Two length variants are available: 12.18 and

13.09 meters, both with two axles. Varying

the possible outfitting configurations, we

find from 49 (12 meters with wheelchair) up

to 63 seats (13 meters without wheelchair),

to which we add standing room that varies

according to the amount of batteries.

Old but gold

Aesthetically, the eIntouro is almost

identical to the diesel version, precisely

because of the absence of roof raises

or cockpit modifications. As a result, the

styling remains clean, much to the delight

of body shop mechanics and inventory

managers, who have to deal with very

few more components than on the Intouro

diesel. The passenger compartment provides

a variety of seating and headlining

options, as well as the option of a single

- or double - rear door.

The driver’s seat can accommodate drivers

of all sizes, just as the dashboard is reminiscent

of that of a coach, complete with all

the information needed for job. The central

display is borrowed from the eCitaro: a

power meter replaces the tachometer and

indicates instantaneous energy demand or

recovery. The display also includes information

on battery charge status, remaining

range, and energy availability.

The new electronic platform enables overthe-air

software updates through the mobile

phone network. Thus, there is no need

to take the bus to an authorized workshop.

The process is controlled by the Omniplus

portal, but the maintenance manager, upon

receiving notice of an available update,

can decide whether and when to perform

it, as long as the bus is stationary for at

least as long as necessary. This technology

can also be used for updates on operating

settings or for retrofits. These operations

can normally only be performed using a

specific diagnostic tool. Daimler Buses is

the first European manufacturer to use this

technology, which is already present on

some car brands.

The safety equipment is extensive, as well

as the list of amenities. And similarly to

the Class III variant, the 13-meter bus can

be equipped with a toilet. But that’s another

story.

The eIntouro will be available for orders

from spring 2025.

In mid-November 2024 Daimler

Buses held its eMobility Days 2.0

event in Berlin, with the aim of

introducing customers to its zero-emission

mobility offer. The place of

honor was reserved for the Mercedes eIntouro,

a BEV high-floor intercity bus that

will be officially presented to the public at

the upcoming Busworld.

In recent years Daimler Truck has divided

the tasks: to Setra the Low Entry, to Mercedes

the Normal Floor. Unlike the eCitaro,

new LFP batteries were chosen for the

electric Intouro, the same ones also used

Compared to the

eCitaro, new LFP

batteries have

been chosen

for the eIntouro,

the same ones

used on the

eActros truck,

assembled in

two groups of

207 kWh each

(one being

standard).

28

29



TEST DRIVE

KING LONG C12 E

STILISH-LOOKING

King Long introduces the C12

E, a 12.25-metre electric coach

blending classic design with

modern technology, offering silent,

efficient operation and a 350 km

range. We tested it

Deploying the concept of electric traction

even on a Class III bus, the King Long

C12 E combines modern technology

with classic styling, albeit updated with

some new details.

12.250 m long, the C12 E comes with a body that is

already familiar and, from an aesthetic standpoint,

appears to have come straight from the 2000s.

This feature, which is not necessarily a bad thing,

is smoothed out by a much more modern front

end, featuring a dark band that wraps around the

windshield and two pairs of overlapping headlamps

that evoke the winking gaze of oriental eyes.

Beyond the romantic suggestions, this is a truly

successful front end. Also pleasing to the eye is the

rear, which features a modern look albeit with completely

different stylings from the front.

The interior, in the passenger compartment, is also

very simple and classically designed, with no frills

or specific distinctive details. The traveler’s experience

is made comfortable by the soft, enveloping

seats, which, on the vehicle we tested, are in a combination

of fabric and leather in the always elegant

black and red colors.

An effective driver position

The driver’s seat is one of the most successful parts

of the C12 E. The driving position is comfortable,

there is ample room for adjustments to the driver’s

seat position, and you do not get the oppressive feeling

that sometimes comes even on emblazoned

brands. Seat springing and pedal angles are good,

and operating the pedals is not fatiguing or unnatural.

A special mention should be made, undoubtedly

in a positive meaning (at least in the opinion of the

writer and tester), of the parking brake control: finally

we found a traditional knob that endures in its

essential sobriety, dominating the cabinet on the left.

12.250 m long, the C12 E

comes with a body that is

already familiar and, from

an aesthetic standpoint,

appears to have come

straight from the 2000s.

This feature is smoothed

out by a much more

modern front end.

30

31



IN THE SPOTLIGHT

The digital instrumentation is housed in a

pentagonal display placed in a visible position

in the center of the dashboard, with

no interference with the steering wheel in

the field of view.

Tradition in innovation

The tools, although digital, feature a traditional

appearance, echoing the graphics

of dials with needles. All other gauges,

including those related to air pressure in

the pneumatic circuit and those dedicated

to motor and battery management, fill the

spaces vacated by the dials.

The initial impression is quite chaotic,

but you will change your mind after a

few minutes of driving when, once you

get your eye in it, everything takes on its

own logic. The size of the characters can

be improved: although well lit, they are

too small and might create non-negligible

focusing problems in people who are farsighted.

No difficulties noted, on the other

hand, in readability in various lighting

conditions. Another plus: the accessory

controls are real physical switches and

not menu items on a touch screen.

Although widely normalized on urban and

suburban vehicles, the electric motor still

ID CARD

Length mm 12,250

Width mm 2,550

Height mm 3,520

Wheelbase mm 6,300

Front axle load capacity kg 7.5

Rear axle load capacity kg 13

Curb weight kg 14,500

Doors n. 2

Passenger capacity max n.

53 seated

(51 + 10 standing in Class II version)

Luggage capacity m3 4.65

Tyres 195/80 R22,5

Motor

Central

Output peak kW 350

Torque peak Nm 3,500

Battery

CATL (LFP)

Battery capacity max kWh 423

Charging technology CCS2 up to 150 kW x 2

leaves a feeling of amazement when you

start traveling without noise or vibration on

the King Long. The motor, centrally-placed,

can deliver 195 kW of continuous power

and 350 kW of peak power, with a maximum

torque of 3,500 Nm. It manages to

briskly propel a bus that, when fully loaded,

can reach 19.5 tons and is more efficient in

standing starts compared to a combustion

engine-powered one. While driving, the feeling

is that the C12 E is well stuck to the

ground, it readily and easily obeys commands,

and follows set trajectories well.

The claimed range of 350 km made possible

by the 423 kWh battery (the supplier

is, again, CATL) is still a point of weakness

The claimed range of

350 km is still a point of

weakness but could prove

more than adequate in the

context of airport services,

as they are characterized

by relatively short routes

but need a large compartment

space, which only a

high floor configuration

can provide. In the case of

the C12 E, it is evidenced

by a capacity of 4.65 m3.

in the hypothesis of use on rental services.

However, it could prove more than adequate

in the context of airport services, as they

are characterized by relatively short routes

but need a large compartment space, which

only a high floor configuration can provide.

In the case of the C12 E, it is evidenced by a

capacity of 4.65 m3.

Driver’s feelings!

Even in taking tight turns, we are impressed

by the C12 E’s low tendency to roll, which,

however, is not accompanied by suspension

stiffness. The brakes are also quick

and very effective, despite the presence of

discs only on the front axle. The steering

wheel is responsive and sufficiently precise;

the calibration of power steering, which

makes it less soft than the average current

bus, is a distinctive feature that, on the one

hand, makes driving slightly less restful

but, on the other, gives a pleasant feeling of

control and robustness of the vehicle.

Overall, the C12 E gives the impression

that it has combined in the best possible

way the modernity of a battery-electric

vehicle, with sophisticated systems of control

and management electronics, and a

traditional-style layout from the vehicle’s

body to the layout and choice of controls

and indicators. The result is pleasing, the

vehicle is essential, and, today, this could

be its strong point within what seems to be

its operational field.

Alessandro Razze

32

33



COACH

YOUTONG T15E

TRAVELLING

AT... ZERO

We left Oulu and drove to Rovaniemi, in Finland, aboard of

Yutong's T15E battery-powered coach. An ‘extreme cold

challenge’ that the Chinese coach tackled and overcame,

consuming 45 per cent of the battery in 250 kilometres on the icy

and snowy roads of Lapland

dropped below -10°C: considering the

latitude, it could have been much worse.

After all, Yutong has won a certain reputation

in northern Europe, since Denmark,

Sweden, Norway, and Finland are to date

the most important European markets for

the Chinese manufacturer (besides Italy

and Eastern Europe). That said, the low

and very low temperatures are precisely

one of the main challenges of batterypowered

traction. And the Chinese manufacturer’s

T15E performed well on the approximately

250-kilometer journey from

Oulu to the heart of Lapland.

We made four long stops, during which

the coach was parked with the front and

middle doors open for at least 15 minutes,

much to the annoyance of the HVAC system

to which special attention is always

paid. But this aspect, too, was part of the

challenge the Chinese three-axle coach

faced on Finnish soil. It arrived at its destination

with 54 percent of the battery

still available.

The Chinese-made T15E

provides a capacity of 61

passengers (plus hostess).

Here, the battery: the T15E

can be equipped with 563

or 630 kWh (as in our case)

LFP modules supplied by

CATL, Yutong’s long-time

partner: the claimed maximum

range is 600 kilometers

on a single charge

under ideal operating conditions;

full charging of the

battery takes 140 minutes.

The author of this article never

thought he would one day reach

Santa’s village, in Rovaniemi,

in the Arctic Circle... aboard an

electric coach. Instead, here we are telling

the adventure we had in early December

2024 at a press presentation organized

by Chinese manufacturer Yutong. The

occasion was for an endurance test that

the OEM called the “Extreme cold challenge”.

It was designed to show the performance

of the T15E battery-powered

coach on the road in critical weather conditions.

However, the temperature never

The e-coach under the lens

The Chinese-made T15E provides a capacity

of 61 passengers (plus hostess/steward).

Here, the battery: the T15E can be

equipped with 563 or 630 kWh (as in our

case) LFP modules supplied by CATL,

Yutong’s long-time partner: the claimed

maximum range is 600 kilometers on a

single charge under ideal operating conditions;

full charging of the battery takes

140 minutes, and the advantage of this

model is the dual CCS2 charging sockets,

which can be used simultaneously.

Aesthetically speaking, the electric coach

presents a harmonious and sinuous design,

which is further softened by the mirrorcams

in place of traditional mirrors.

This makes the driver’s work easier, with

the additional help of a 360-degree bird’s

eye view on the side monitor.

Turning to the interior, the excellent passenger

capacity is noteworthy, but it comes

somewhat at the expense of comfort,

which is nonetheless sufficient and aided

by the zero-emission powertrain and minimized

vibration. The rows of recliner

seats (with armrests only on the aisle side)

are close together, and for those who are

significantly tall (this is not the case of

the writer...), legroom is a bit small, but

still superior to what we find on a lowcost

flight, for instance. In addition, the

reclining seats are slightly narrow, and if

you are traveling with a seatmate, comfort

is somewhat lost (there is no footrest in

the model tested). The USB and type-C

socket for charging devices is useful. The

interior height of the Yutong-branded battery

coach is 2,030 millimeters, while the

volume of the luggage compartment is remarkable:

8.5 cubic meters.

Two days later, the T15E traveled 607 kilometers

from Oulu to Helsinki: starting

with 100 percent of the charge, according

to company's statements, it arrived at destination

with 2 percent.

Fabio Franchini

34

35



TROLLEYBUSES

EU TROLLEYBUS MARKET’S DEVELOPMENTS IN 2024 AND EARLY 2025

EUROPE OF TROLLEYS

Trolleybuses are resurging in Europe, with

major deliveries and new tenders across

multiple countries. We delved into a European

tour highlighting main investments, projects

and deployments

A

mode of transport that has been

neglected for too long, trolleybuses

have made a comeback

in recent years as a topical

technology, thanks to battery-powered

operations and the ability to travel long

distances in wireless mode.

Projects and tender announcements have

been coming from various networks all

around Europe.

However, Van Hool’s bankruptcy has significantly

narrowed the offer on the market

for trolley vehicle manufacturers. Not

to mention that Iveco abandoned the Crealis

project in recent years. This benefited

Solaris and Hess, which remained the only

players in the European trolleybus market,

along with Skoda and Bozankaya. Although

other players loom on the horizon, wanting

to listen to some gossip.

An important factor is that almost all

vehicles delivered in Europe today are

equipped with battery packs and in-line

battery charging technology.

In these pages we look back over 2024 of

trolleybuses in Europe, listing projects,

tenders, deliveries.

Hess dominant in Switzerland

Deliveries aimed at fleet expansion and

modernization continue in Switzerland. In

Zurich, Hess has delivered two 18-meter

Lightram 19 DC trolleybuses, bringing the

Bellach-based company’s latest generation

€35

million for

trolleybus project

in Nancy (FR)

of trolleybuses to 12. The newly designed

trolleybuses are expected in 2025.

More Lightram 19 DCs were delivered

to Winterthur: the 7 new 134-140 series

trolleybuses made it possible to convert

Line 5 to trolleybus operation and design

the new Line 5.

In St. Gallen, on the other hand, two new

24-meter Hess Lightram 25 DC trolleybuses

have taken service. They will be

used on the extended Line 3 to the Wittenbach

train station.

In Neuchatel, deliveries of the 30

Lightram 19 DC, two-box trolleybuses

built by Hess and destined for both Neuchatel

and La Chaux de Fonds are virtually

complete. La Chaux de Fonds has

decided to reintroduce the trolleybus as a

zero-emission vehicle after several years

of suspension of trolleybus service.

Happening in Germany and France

In Germany, there are new trolleybuses

also in Eberswalde. In April 2024, two

Solaris Trollino 18 numbers 064 and 065

with autonomous battery-powered running

were unveiled. They will be used on

36

Projects and tender

announcements have

been coming from various

networks all around Europe.

However, Van Hool’s

bankruptcy has narrowed

the offer. Not to mention

that Iveco abandoned the

Crealis project. This benefited

Solaris and Hess, which

remained the only players

in the European trolleybus

market, along with Skoda

and Bozankaya. Although

other players might be looming

on the horizon...

37



TROLLEYBUSES

38

the 910 line, which is partially equipped

with overhead infrastructure.

Good news also come from France, specifically

from Nancy, where one unit of

the new Lightram 25 DC trolleybus was

delivered by Hess on March 12, 2024. It

is the first of 25 units ordered in 2022 by

Métropole du Grand Nancy, which will

replace the previous captive-guided system

stopped on March 12, 2023.

The new vehicles feature Hess’s new

look, and most of them have already

been delivered, such that operation on

the renovated Line 1 is scheduled for

early 2025. The total investment for the

vehicles is 35 million euros, plus work on

upgrading the line.

There is something new also for the Dutch

network in Arnhem, which has received

10 Metrostyle-look Trollinos. They are

quite similar to the models in operation in

Esslingen and Salzburg. The Trollinos are

being used on line 352 Arnhem - Wageningen,

which is only partially equipped

with two wires.

Bologna to buy up to 70 trolleys

Let’s jump to Italy. In 2024, there were

no new tenders for trolleybuses… until

Christmas Eve. Indeed, TPER Bologna’s

tender for a maximum of 70 trolleybuses

(35 on order, as many on option) was published

on December 24.

Otherwise, it has been a year of deliveries.

Milan is rapidly modernizing its trolleybus

fleet: all the ‘orange’ 100-, 200-

and 900-series trolleybuses, dating from

the 1980s and 1990s, were put aside, as

well as Irisbus’ 400-series Cristalis.

The delivery of the 90 Solaris Trollino

800 series has almost been completed,

and a good part of the 60 vehicles of the

second tranche (830-889 series) have

been put into service in 2024. Currently,

about 10 are missing. The Trollinos are

now assigned a large part of the services

of circular routes 90, 91, 92, 93, and also

the night runs of 90/91 lines.

New 18-meter Trollinos, registered in the

2200 series, are currently being delivered

to Genoa. There will be a total of 112 vehicles

in operation. The first line tests have

begun, and they are expected to be put into

service in the future on the current line 20

(Foce - Sampierdarena); in the future, the

trolleybuses will work on the lines included

in the ‘Four Axes of Strength’ plan,

which envisages a major expansion of the

Genoa trolleybus network.

In Modena, two Trollino 12 entered servi-

ce, bringing to 10 the number of Trollinos

in service.

Eastern Europe on the wire

The situation in the Czech Republic

is very dynamic, with

many new developments

related to trolleybus deliveries

and the introduction

of new trolleybus lines.

Among the most active networks

is Prague, which has

inaugurated its new trolleybus

service with 20 double-articulated,

24-meter Solaris Trollino trolleybuses registered

in the 400 series (No. 401-420).

Deliveries were completed during 2024,

as were the 15 Sor-made articulated units

with Cegelec electric parts, registered in

the 100 series (No. 101-115). Two lines,

58 and 59, are currently in operation, and

construction work has been awarded on

the infrastructure of line 52. This is part

of the trolleybus network development

90

Solaris Trollino

being delivered in

Milan

Skoda was awarded in

early 2025 a 40-units

trolleybuses tender in the

Estonian capital Tallin (with

option for further 30). The

Czech company will deliver

22 eighteen-metre 33Tr

trolleybuses and 18 twelvemetre

32Tr vehicles. The

contract value, including

service and maintenance

for up to 400,000 km

and the 30-units option,

exceeds €50 million.

plan that includes 14 lines,

almost all of which are derived

from the conversion of

bus lines.

A major contract in Prague

And in the same Prague, in January 2025,

Turkish OEM Bozankaya has been officially

awarded a 70-units trolleybus

tender. Ankara-based manufacturer has

secured the €43.5 million contract with

its SNG 12 model, featuring Medcom’s

electrical equipment and 15 km off-wire

mileage capability. In Pardubice, also in

Czech Republic, ten new model 32 Tr

trolleybuses (with Sor body and Skoda

electric system) ordered in 2023, were

delivered and put into operation between

June and July 2024.

The ongoing renewal for Ceske Budejovice

is also important. On December 10,

the city received the first of 35 new articulated

trolleybuses mod. 33 Tr with Sor

body and Skoda electric technology. Cur-

70

Bozankaya

SNG 12 awarded

in Prague

rently, the vehicle has begun line trials.

Let’s move on to Slovakia. Deliveries of a

fleet of 23 double-articulated trolleybuses

have been completed in Bratislava. These

are Solaris Trollino similar to the Prague

vehicles. Deliveries of the 11 12-meter

trolleybuses produced by Skoda with Sor

body and the 18-meter version Trollino

have also been virtually completed. Regarding

the 24-meter models registered in

the 6900 series, they are scheduled to be

operated on line 71. A curiosity for enthusiasts:

in May 2024, the 6903 vehicle was

tested on the Zilina (Sk) network.

Good news also comes from the Romanian

capital Bucharest. As many as 100

new 12-meter Solaris Trollino trolleybuses

were ordered by operator STB and

registered in the 5400 series; the first

unit arrived in Bucharest on January 19,

2024, and delivery was completed in

August. The new vehicles are assigned

to six lines, including the new line 63,

which takes the place of two bus lines.

On weekends, according to availability,

the Trollinos are also being used on other

lines in the network. The city administration

has now launched a market test for a

tender to purchase 100 18-meter articulated

trolley vehicles.

Sgezed’s network in Hungary

is also involved in the process

of modernizing its trolleybus

fleet. On October

10, 2024, the four new Sor

32 Tr trolleybuses ordered

in 2022 and registered under

company numbers T 400

- T 403 were presented.

A major fleet renewal also took

place in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius,

whose transport company JSC ordered

as many as 91 Skoda 32 Tr trolleybuses

with Sor body in 2023, with a total value

of more than 52 million euros. The first

vehicle was delivered in March 2024, and

began regular service on August 22, 2024,

along with 19 trolleybus vehicles delivered

in the meantime. Deliveries will be completed

in 2025. And Skoda announced it

won a 40-units trolleybuses tender in Tallin

(with option for further 30) earlier this

year. Deliveries will begin in 2026.

All in all, it was a positive year, and we

look to the future with optimism. The

agreements developed during 2024 are

important, as they will lead to the delivery

within Europe of hundreds of new trolleybuses

in the coming years.

Stefano Alfano

39



PORTFOLIO

ALL THE ZERO EMISSION BUS MODELS

ON THE EUROPEAN MARKET.

MADE FOR THE CITY

ALFABUS EUROPE

Battery capacity max kWh 354

Charging technology plug-in/pant.

Enviro 400 EV (in-house)

Length mm 11,100

Passenger capacity n. 96

Motor type / output kW Voith / 410

Battery type

NMC

Battery capacity max kWh 472

Charging technology plug-in/pant.

Bluebus 12

Length mm 12,068

Passenger capacity n. 109

Motor type / kW Central / 160

Battery type Blue Solutions / LMP

Battery capacity max kWh 441

Charging technology

plug-in

BMC

Ecity L12

Length mm 12,200

Passenger capacity n. 85

Motor / kW Ecar / 210

Battery type

CATL / LFP

Battery capacity 422

Charging technology

plug-in

ALTAS

Novus City V7

Length mm 7,490

Passenger capacity n. 33

Motor / kW Dana TM4 / 200

Battery type

CATL / LFP

Battery capacity 140

Charging technology

plug-in

ALEXANDER DENNIS

Enviro 400 FCEV (in-house)

Length mm 11,100

Passenger capacity n. 88

Motor type / output kW Voith / 350

Fuel cell system / kW Ballard / 60

Battery type

LTO

Battery capacity max kWh 30

Enviro 500 EV (in-house)

Length mm 12,000

Passenger capacity n. 86

Motor type / output kW Voith / 410

Battery type

NMC

Battery capacity max kWh 472

Charging technology

plug-in

BLUEBUS

Procity EV

Length mm 12,090

Passenger capacity n. 97

Motor / kW HSVM 287 Aselsan / 250

Battery type

LTO

Battery capacity kWh 112

Charging technology pantograph

Neocity EV

Length mm 8,500 / 10,000

Passenger capacity n. 72 / 68

Motor / kW Dana TM4 Sumo MD / 235

Battery type BorgWarner / NMC

Battery capacity kWh 198

Charging technology

plug-in

BYD

THE ALL-ELECTRIC C127 EV

DESIGNED TO LEAD . .

BUILT TO LAST

The synthesis of design and functionality leads to comfortable and flexible

options that both passengers and drivers appreciate - with safety.

The framework made of high-strength stainless steel and extensive standard

Enviro 100 EV (in-house)

Length mm 8,500

Passenger capacity n. 45

Motor type / output kW Voith / 260

Battery type

NMC

Bluebus 6

Length mm 5,940

Passenger capacity n. 35

Motor type / kW Central / 140

Battery

Blue Solutions / LMP

Battery capacity max kWh 126

Charging technology

plug-in

eBus B11, B13, B15, B18, B19

Length mm 10,816 / 13,275 /

14,775 / 18,150 / 18,750

Motor / output kW BYD / 300

Battery type

BYD / LFP

Battery capacity max kWh

348 / 422 / 511 / 563

Charging technology plug-in/pant.

equipment underlines the quality. The ability to carry up to 90 passengers with

a maximum battery capacity of 462 kWh and its overall height of 3.20 meters

make it an efficient and economical representative in the all-electric city bus

segment.

Provider: MCV Deutschland GmbH, Ziegelwiese 1c, 59909 Bestwig

www.mcv-de.com

40



PORTFOLIO

ALL THE ZERO EMISSION BUS MODELS

ON THE EUROPEAN MARKET.

eBus k7, k9UD

Length mm 8,750 / 12,200

Passenger seats n. -

Motor / output kW BYD / 180 / 300

Battery type

BYD / LFP

Battery capacity max kWh 174 / 422

Charging technology plug-in/pant.

e.City Gold 10/12

Length mm 10,700 / 12,000

Passenger capacity n. 64 / 87

Motor / output kW Siemens / 180

Battery type

NMC / LTO

Battery capacity max kWh 385

Charging technology plug-in/pant.

HESS

BYD - Castrosua Nelec

Length mm 12,200

Passenger seats n. 92

Motor / output kW BYD / 300

Battery type

BYD / LFP

Battery capacity max kWh 422

Charging technology plug-in/pant.

H2.City Gold 10/12 (hydrogen)

Length mm 10,700 / 12,000

Passenger capacity n. 64 / 87

Motor / kW Siemens / 180

Battery type

LTO

Fuel cell system

Toyota

Estimate range km 400

EBUSCO

lighTram 10/12/19/25 DC

Length mm 10,790/12,000/18,750/24,750

Passenger capacity n. 58 / 103 / 136 / 224

Motor / kW - / 150

Battery type -

Battery capacity max kWh

510/610/710/820

Charging technology plug-in/pant.

HIGER

BYD - UNVI DD13

Length mm 13,700

Passenger seats n. 77

Motor / output kW BYD / 300

Battery type

BYD / LFP

Battery capacity max kWh 484

Charging technology

plug-in

Estimate range km 350

Ebusco 2.2 (LE/LF)

Length m 12 / 12.9 / 13.5 / 18,00

Passenger capacity n. 90/85/78/140

Motor / kW ZF / 250

Battery type

LFP

Battery capacity kWh 363 / 423 / 525

Charging technology plug-in/pant.

Steed

Length mm 8,500

Passenger capacity n. 48

Motor / kW -

Battery type

CATL / LFP

Battery capacity kWh 174 / 210

Charging technology

plug-in

CAETANOBUS

42

Ebusco 3.0

Length mm 12,000 / 18,000

Passenger n. 110/150

Motor / kW Ebusco / 250

Battery type

LFP

Battery capacity max kWh 350/500

Charging technology

plug-in

Azure 7, 9, 12

Length mm 7,000 / 9,000 / 12,000

Passenger capacity n. 86

Motor / kW Prestolite MD130D / -

Battery type

CATL / LFP

Battery capacity kWh 355

Charging technology

plug-in

The Crossway Low Entry ELEC marks a new step forward towards

an even more sustainable mobility.

12 m and 13 m long versions, available in Class I and Class II

Central electric motor 290 kW output for a maximum torque of 3000 Nm

NMC Lithium battery pack assembled by FPT Industrial

Various charging interfaces, including optional pantograph bottom-up or rails for top-down



PORTFOLIO

ALL THE ZERO EMISSION BUS MODELS

ON THE EUROPEAN MARKET.

IKARUS

80E

Length mm 8,545

Passenger capacity n. 55

Motor/kW - / 170

Battery

CATL / LFP

Battery capacity max kWh 282

Charging technology plug-in/pant.

120E

Length mm 12,190

Passenger capacity n. 86

Motor/kW - / 240

Battery

CATL / LFP

Battery capacity max kWh 422

Charging technology plug-in/pant.

Streetway Elec

Length mm 12,000

Passenger capacity. 90

Motor type / kW Voith / 310

Battery type

NMC

Battery capacity max kWh 485

Charging technology

plug-in

Crossway Elec

Length mm 12,000 / 13,000

Passenger seats n.. 44 / 48

Motor type / kW Siemens / 330

Battery type

NMC

Battery capacity max kWh 485

Charging technology plug-in/pant.

E-Way H2

Length mm 12,000

Passenger seats n.. -

Motor type / kW Siemens / 310

Battery type

Fuel cell system

NMC

Hyundai

Battery capacity max kWh 69

IRIZAR E-MOBILITY

ie tram

Length mm 12,165 / 18,730

Passenger capacity n. 99 / 155

Motor / kW Irizar / 190-235

Battery type

Lithium-ion

Battery capacity max kWh 350/525

Charging technology plug-in/pant.

ISUZU

Novociti Volt

Length mm 7,957

Passenger capacity n. 48

Motor / kW Dana TM4 Sumo MD / 255

Battery type

CATL / LFP

Battery capacity kWh 211 - 268

Charging technology

plug-in

Otokar electromobility to meet

the new urban challenges

180E

Length mm 18,750

Passenger capacity n. 113

Motor/kW - / 350

Battery

CATL / LFP

Battery capacity max kWh 564

Charging technology plug-in/pant.

IVECO BUS

ie bus

Length mm 10,850 / 12,160 / 18,730

Passenger capacity n. 76 / 95 / 155

Motor / output kW Irizar / 235

Battery type

Lithium-ion

Battery capacity max kWh 525

Charging technology

plug-in/pant.

Citivolt 12

Length mm 12,030

Passenger capacity n. 100

Motor / kW ZF AxTrax / 250

Battery type

NMC

Battery capacity kWh 495

Charging technology

plug-in

Novo Volt

Length mm 7,332

Passenger capacity n. 29

Motor / kW Allison / 320

Battery type

NMC

Battery capacity kWh 165

Charging technology

plug-in

KARSAN

e-CENTRO C e-KENT C

6.60 m

Up to 32 passengers

10.80 - 12 m - 18 m

Up to 146 passengers

100% electric Zero emission Low noise pollution

44

E-WAY

Length mm 9,510 / 10,735 / 12,060

Passenger seats n. 16 - 26 - 35

Motor / kW - /160

Battery type

NMC/LTO

Battery capacity max kWh 416

Charging technology plug-in/pant.

www.otokareurope.com

1.-03. April in Berlin

Stand 76



PORTFOLIO

ALL THE ZERO EMISSION BUS MODELS

ON THE EUROPEAN MARKET.

e-Jest

Length mm 5,845

Passenger capacity n. 25

Motor / kW BMW / 125

Battery type BMW / Lithium-ion

Battery capacity max kWh 88

Charging technology

plug-in

Pev 6/9/12

Length mm 5,990 / 9.180 / 11,980

Passenger n. 23 / 27 / 36

Motor / kW King Long/Dana - 135/245/350

Battery type

LFP

Battery capacity max kWh 89/282423

Charging technology

plug-in

MAN

Sigma 7, 8, 9

Length mm 7,150 / 8.750 / 9.400

Passenger capacity n. from 33

Motor/kW Dana / -

Battery supplier

CATL

Battery capacity max kWh -

Charging technology

MENARINI

plug-in

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e-Atak

Length mm 8,315

Passenger capacity n. 52

Motor / kW Dana TM4 Sumo MD / 230

Battery type

BMW / Lithium-ion

Battery capacity max kWh 220

Charging technology

plug-in

Lion’s City E 10/12/18

Length mm 10,575 / 12,000 / 18,100

Passenger capacity n. 67 / 85 / 120

Motor / kW Traton - 240/270/540

Battery type

NMC

Battery capacity max kWh 400/480/640

Charging technology

plug-in

MCV

Citymood 10e, 12e

Length mm 10,620 / 12,100

Passenger capacity n. 80

Motor / kW Siemens 1DB2016 / 230

Battery type

NMC

Battery capacity max. kWh 330

Charging technology

plug-in

10,000

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110

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40,000m 2

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e-ATA 10/12/18

Length mm 10,750/12,220/18,300

Passenger capacity n. 79 / 89 / 135

Motor / kW ZF AxTrax / 250-250-500

Battery type

LFP

Batt. capacity max kWh 315/449/595

Charging technology

KING LONG

plug-in/pant.

MCV C127 EV

Length mm 12,000

Passenger capacity n. 90

Motor / kW ACTIA - 250

Battery type Forsee Power / NMC

Battery capacity max kWh 462

Charging technology

plug-in

MELLOR

MERCEDES

eCitaro K/12/18

Length mm 10,633 / 12,135 / 18,125

Passenger capacity n. 84 / 88 / 136

Motor / kW ZF AxTrax / 250

Battery type BorgWarner / NMC**

Batt. capacity max kWh 491 / 588 / 686

Charging technology plug-in / pant.

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eCitaro fuel cell 12/18

Length mm 12,135 / 18,125

Passenger capacity n. 88 / 128

Motor / kW ZF AxTrax / 250

Fuel cell system

Toyota

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PORTFOLIO

ALL THE ZERO EMISSION BUS MODELS

ON THE EUROPEAN MARKET.

PORTFOLIO

ALL THE ZERO EMISSION BUS MODELS

ON THE EUROPEAN MARKET.

Battery type

NMC

Battery capacity max kWh 295/ 392

Charging technology

OTOKAR

plug-in

Motor / kW Voith / 410

Battery type

- / NMC

Battery capacity kWh 450

Charging technology

plug-in

QUANTRON

SAFRA

Battery capacity max kWh -

Charging technology plug-in/plug-pant.

Skoda H’city

Length mm 12,020

Passenger capacity n. 85

Motor / kW 100 / 160

Battery type -

Motor kW ZF / 240/250

Battery type NMC / LTO / LFP

Battery capacity kWh 800

Charging technology plug-in/pant.

Avenue Electron

Length mm 12,000

Passenger seats n. 35

Motor / kW TM4 Sumo / 250

Battery type

NMC

Battery capacity kWh 240 - 300 - 360

Charging technology

plug-in

e-Centro C

Length mm 6,605

Passenger capacity n. 32

Motor / kW Dana TM4 / 205

Battery type

Svolt / NMC

Battery capacity kWh 110

Charging technology

plug-in

Cizaris 12 EV

Length mm 12,180

Passenger capacity n. 81 to 95

Motor / kW Dana TM4 / 245

Battery type

CATL / LFP

Batt. capacity max kWh 242 to 424

Charging technology

plug-in

RAMPINI

Hycity

Length mm 11,857

Passenger capacity n. +100

Motor / kW ZF AxTrax / 250

Fuel cell module / kW Symbio / 45

Battery Microvast / NMC / 130 kWh

SCANIA

Battery capacity max kWh -

Estimate range km 350

SOLARIS

Urbino electric 9 LE/12

Length mm 9,270 / 12,000

Passenger seats max n. 31 / 43

Urbino 12/18 hydrogen

Length mm 12,000 / 18,000

Passenger seats max n. 37 / 52

Motor / kW ZF AxTrax / 250

Fuel cell module

Ballard

Fuel cell module power kW 70 / 100

Battery High Power / 30 kWh

Hydrogen capacity l 5 x 312/ (+3x190)

MD9 electriCITY

Length mm 9,496

Passenger seats n. 26

Motor / kW

Battery type

TM4/250

NMC

Battery capacity max kWh 200

Charging technology

plug-in

LD SB E

Length mm 2.365 / 13.080

Passenger seats n. 57 / 61

Motor / kW

TM4/250

Battery type

NMC

Battery capacity max kWh 350

Charging technology

plug-in

Motor ZF AxTrax - TSA - 220 / 250-160

Battery type NMC / LTO / LFP

VDL

e-Kent C 12/18

Length mm 12,000/18,750

Passenger capacity n. 74/99

Motor / kW Voith / 410

Battery type

Webasto / NMC

Battery capacity kWh 350/560

Charging technology

Kent C Hydrogen

plug-in

Length mm 12,000

Passenger capacity n. 104

Motor / kW - / 410

Battery type

Fuel cell system

- / NMC

Ballard

Estimate range km 500

e-Territo U

Length mm 13,000

Passenger capacity n. 63

Sixtron/Eltron

Length mm 6,110 / 8,000

Passenger capacity n. 34 / 48

Motor / kW Dana / 230

Battery type

LFP

Batt. capacity max kWh 210

Charging technology plug-in / pant.

Hydron

Length mm 8,000

Passenger capacity n. 48

Motor / kW Siemens / 230

Battery type

Rampini / LFP

Batt. capacity max kWh 175

Fuel cell module / kW Loop Energy

Scania-Castrosua 75 CS

Length mm 13,065

Passenger seats n. 44

Motor / kW - / 300

Battery type -

Batt. capacity max kWh 520

Charging technology

plug-in

SKODA

Skoda E’City 9, 12

Length mm 9,496 / 12,020

Passenger capacity n. 65 / 85

Motor / kW 100 / 160

Battery type -

Battery capacity max kWh 350 / 600

Charging technology plug-in/pant.

Urbino electric 15 LE

Length mm 14,890

Passenger seats max n. 65

Motor Central asynchronous / 300

Battery type NMC / LTO / LFP

Battery capacity max kWh 470

Charging technology plug-in/pant.

Urbino electric 18/24

Length mm 18,000 / 24,700

Passenger capacity n. 145 / 155

Trollino

Length mm 12,000/18,000/24,000

Passenger seats max n. 39/53/69

Motor / kW TSA-Skoda / 160-250

Battery type

Solaris LTO

Battery capacity kWh 30-90

Charging technologies Pant. / IMC

TEMSA

Citea new gen. LF-122 / LE-122

Length mm 12,200

Passenger capacity n. 110 / 105

Motor/kW ZF AxTrax / 250

Battery type

NMC

Battery capacity max kWh 490

Charging technology plug-in/pant.

Citea new gen. LE-135 / LE-149

Length mm 13,500 / 14,900

Passenger capacity n. 89 / 138

Motor/kW ZF AxTrax / 250

Battery type

NMC

Battery capacity max kWh 552 / 674

Charging technology plug-in/pant.

48

49



PORTFOLIO

Citea new gen. LE-181

Length mm 18,100

Passenger capacity n. 153

Motor/kW ZF AxTrax / 250

Battery type

NMC

Battery capacity max kWh 674

Charging technology plug-in/pant.

VOLVO

U11DD

Length mm 10,990

Passenger seats n. 82

Motor/kW Yutong TZ368XSYTB38/350

Battery type

CATL

Battery capacity max kWh 385

Charging technology

plug-in

WRIGHTBUS

The international media

focusing on innovation and

sustainability in public transport

Established 2018

Editor in chief

Stefano Agnellini

Managing editor

Riccardo Schiavo

Editorial staff

Fabio Butturi, Ornella Cavalli,

Alberto Gimmelli, Fabrizio Dalle Nogare,

Stefano Eliseo, Fabio Franchini,

Cristina Scuteri, Luca Vitali

Layout & graphics

Marco Zanusso (manager)

Editorial management

Fabio Zammaretti

Printing

Industrie Grafiche RGM srl,

Rozzano (Mi)

Milano City Court Authorization

n. 109 – September 5th 2023 National Press

Register n. 4596 – April 20th 1994

n. R.O.C. 2880 30-11-2001

50

7900 Electric (MCV)

Length mm 12,000/18,000/18,700

Passenger capacity n. 95/150/145

Electric motor / kW 200 / 400

Battery type

LTO

Battery capacity max kWh 470 / 565

Charging technology plug-in/pant.

YUTONG

E12 Pro

Length mm 12,000

Passenger seats n. 61

Motor/kW Yutong YTM280-CV9-H/350

Battery supplier

CATL

Battery capacity max kWh 422

Charging technology

plug-in

U12

Length mm 12,170

Passenger capacity n. 75

Motor/kW Yutong TZ368XSYTB38/350

Battery type

CATL

Battery capacity max kWh 422

Charging technology

plug-in

StreetDeck Hydroliner FCEV

Length mm 10,900

Passenger capacity n. 86

Motor / kW

Voith VEDS

Fuel cell module

Ballard

Fuel cell module power kW -

Battery

Forsee Power / NMC

Battery capacity kWh 48

Hydrogen capacity kg 27 (1,120 l)

StreetDeck Electroliner BEV

Length mm 10,900

Passenger seats n. 95

Motor / kW

Voith VEDS

Battery

Forsee Power / NMC

Battery capacity kWh 340 - 454

Charging technology

plug-in.

GB Kite Hydroliner FCEV

Length mm 12,000

Passenger capacity n. 90

Motor / kW

Voith VEDS

Fuel cell module Ballard FC Move

Fuel cell module power kW 70 - 100

Battery

Forsee Power / NMC

Battery capacity kWh 30 - 45

Hydrogen capacity kg 35 - 50

GB Kite Electroliner BEV

Length mm 12,000

Passenger seats n. 90

Motor / kW

Voith VEDS

Battery

Forsee Power / NMC

Battery capacity kWh 340 - 454 - 567

Charging technology

plug-in.

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