Milan on the way to a fully zero emission bus fleet in 2030. 550 e-buses to be purchased by 2026

For years now, ATM Milan has taken up the challenge of energy transition and, to date, the operator that manages the city’s public transport system, has around 250 electric buses in its fleet (which will become 300 by the end of 2024), out of a total of 1,200 vehicles.

ATM’s goal is well known: to reach 2030 with a completely emission-free bus fleet. At the moment, the e-buses in operations are all by Solaris (Urbino Electric model), but in the near future there will also be E-Way by Iveco Bus running.

ATM Milan: 550 e-buses in view

“550 electric buses will be purchased by 2026 with 293 million of public funding and 24 million in ATM resources”, reads a recent study by Motus-E (to which we had contributed). Total investment? Over 1.3 billion euros, of which 340 millions to date coming from public funds (273 from Next Generation EU).

ATM’s Full Electric Plan includes the comprehensive conversion of depots and network infrastructure to support electric buses. The San Donato depot will feature 90 chargers at 100 kW and 2 chargers at 200 kW, while the Sarca and Giambellino depots will be equipped with 75 chargers at 100 kW and 2 chargers at 200 kW each. Further 14 pantograph chargers have been installed in town. Additionally, two new depots will be constructed at Viale Toscana and Viale Triboniano. The one in Viale Toscana, close to Bocconi University, will be covering a 20,000 m² area, featuring green roofs, and accommodating up to 100 electric buses.

In a recent interview with Italian main newspaper Corriera della Sera, ATM’s CEO Arrigo Giana took stock of the road map, which involves not only road transport, but also rail transport mode, with work on the metro (Line 4) finally coming to an end: ‘The electrification project for us is the key project, the most important one. We are changing 1200 buses: from diesel to electric. And we are also opening the last stretch of the M4. The coverage of the territory is among the most capillary. Everyone uses public transport in Milan, because it is the most efficient way of getting around”.