Seven bids for 30 e-buses. Italy: Genoese tender gets wide participation
Seven electric bus manufacturers’ bids to AMT Genova’s call for tenders for 30 12-meter vehicles. Yesterday, 10 March 2020, as reported on the Italian specialized media Autobusweb, the offers have been opened. On the starting blocks: VDL, Solaris, Iveco Bus, Alfabus, BYD, Irizar and Evobus. A list with plenty of surprises, with the exception of […]
Seven electric bus manufacturers’ bids to AMT Genova’s call for tenders for 30 12-meter vehicles. Yesterday, 10 March 2020, as reported on the Italian specialized media Autobusweb, the offers have been opened. On the starting blocks: VDL, Solaris, Iveco Bus, Alfabus, BYD, Irizar and Evobus.
A list with plenty of surprises, with the exception of Irizar and Iveco Bus‘ names: the first has been awarded the tender for 14 10.8-meter e-buses ie bus (deliveries executed in December 2020), while the second has a long-standing relationship with the city of Genoa.
Solaris, BYD, Mercedes, VDL, Alfabus, Iveco Bus, Irizar
Solaris, the Italian and continental market leader among European electric bus manufacturers, could not be absent. After its success in Turin (100 e-buses to be handovered), BYD wants to continue the offensive on the Italian market betting on a competitive price and a technology that, given the production figures, guarantees good standards of reliability.
Evobus is also part of the match: the Mercedes eCitaro is still waiting for its first commercial deal in Italy. VDL is partially a surprise: the Dutch manufacturer is getting involved in Italian e-bus market, as the vehicles for Malpensa airport are almost ready to get to the road. VDL has also made a bid at the tender held by TPER Bologna.
A real surprise is the bid submitted by Alfabus with the Ecity L12, which has two units in operation in Italy wearing the Arriva Italia livery. The heart of the electric bus is a permanent magnet synchronous motor, capable of delivering up to 210 kW and 2,400 Nm. The batteries can store up to 354 kWh of electricity.
Beltrami, this is our line
As far as the charging technology is concerned, Marco Beltrami, Director of AMT Genoa, interviewed by autobusweb a few weeks ago, dispelled any doubts. “We have focused on night-time recharging. We have a depot (Mangini n.d.r.) which is capable of handling up to 60 electric buses and we are currently designing the Cornigliano electric garage. Today we have 10 Rampini 8-metre vehicles in service and we have recently introduced 14 Irizar 10.5-metre vehicles. Another 10 Rampini vehicles will be delivered in the coming months. By the end of 2021 the city of Genoa will have two depots with charging infrastructures and 64 electric buses in operation“.
