Ebusco in Utrecht, again. 20 electric buses on Qbuzz regional routes

Utrecht has witness the first days in operation of further 20 Ebusco zero emission buses. With a peculiarity: they are being deployed on regional routes. At the beginning of June, the Dutch company in fact delivered a batch of 20 Ebusco 2.2 to Qbuzz, a subsidiary of Busitalia, in Utrecht. This brings the total number of Ebusco buses operating in Utrecht Province to 31. Ebusco previously supplied 11 electric city buses to Utrecht: the delivery dates back to 2017, and the model involved was the Ebusco 2.1.

The 20 new electric buses are expected to drive a total of 1.7 million kilometres per year.

Recently, Ebusco was awarded a contract for 13 vehicles in Frankfurt, by Transdev. A major delivery is the one for Amsterdam, where 156 buses are to operate. But Ebusco is partnering with Qbuzz also for the concession Groningen-Drenthe, where in March 2019 as many as 60 Ebusco 2.2 were ordered.

Utrecht, zero emission bus transport by 2028 (with Ebusco)

The province of Utrecht’s goal is to have entirely electric bus transport by 2028. In 2020, several diesel buses that are due for replacement will be superseded by electric versions. Each bus, according to Ebusco’s figures, will reduce CO₂ pollution by 1 kg per kilometre driven.

Qbuzz started using electric buses in September 2017 with a view to developing its knowledge and experience of electric transport. In the past year, these 11 city buses from Ebusco have driven a combined total of around 700,000 electric kilometres. With the addition of these 20 new regional buses, the company expects to cover around 2.5 million kilometres per year with Ebusco electric vehicles.

Ebusco in Utrecht, for regional routes

Ebusco is among the few electric bus manufacturer which has e-buses operating on regional routes. In Groningen and elsewhere, several Ebusco regional buses drive over 400 km per day, the company highlights. The electric buses recharge their batteries in depots at times when they are not operational, mainly overnight.

“In our Ebusco 2.2 buses, we are implementing the latest innovations in areas such as weight saving, battery technology and charging infrastructure. The LFP battery used on these buses is the best and safest battery on the market. By combining these innovations, our buses can drive around 350 km on one battery charge and the buses will be charged mainly overnight at the depot in Zeist. This is good for battery life and makes a considerable difference to electricity costs,” explains Peter Bijvelds, CEO of Ebusco.