Another Swedish town opts for Volvo electric buses. Jönköping to get 49 units

New electric and commercial success for Volvo Buses in the home country Sweden: earlier this year, Vy Buss AB ordered 49 high-capacity Volvo 7900 Electric Articulated buses, the manufacturer points out. The new electric bus units, which are scheduled to enter operation in Jönköping, in summer 2021, are part of the city’s next-generation investment in public transport.

The same operator Vy Buss will have 22 Volvo e-buses in operation in Drammen (Norway). The order from Jönköping is not much smaller than the commission for 60 articulated electric buses coming from Nobina. Gothenburg will have as many as 157 18-meter Volvo battery-electric buses operated by Transdev, according to the largest order so far for this model, launched at Busworld 2019.

Jönköping to get 49 articulated electric buses

Jönköping has 93,ooo inhabitants and is located in southern Sweden. The city is growing and developing its public transport system to meet the future. As part of this programme, several bus routes in the city area will be electrified next year. Operations will be handled by Vy Buss AB, which has placed an order for 49 high-capacity electric buses from Volvo Buses for delivery in summer 2021.

The Volvo 7900 Electric Articulated has a new driveline, capable of 330 kW of output. Battery capacity reaches 400 kWh, and has been developed both for depot charging and fast charging on route. It’s kind of a novelty for Volvo, that started to realize electric buses six year ago with a strong focus on opportunity charging.

High capacity electric transport in Jönköping’s future

The 49 electric buses are of the Volvo 7900 Electric Articulated model and they can carry up to 120 passengers. With increased departure frequency the new buses will be part of a system designed to enhance passenger capacity. The vehicles are also prepared for deployment of automatic speed regulation within specified geographic areas, so called Zone Management. This is an important feature for buses operating close to schools, hospitals and other facilities where many unprotected road users move around.

Volvo Buses and Vy Buss have undertaken route analyses and calculation that form the foundation for optimisation of the buses’ battery capacity, Volvo Buses points out.

The charging partner? LaddAlliansen with Kempower

The Swedish company LaddAlliansen and Finnish Kempower will deliver an electric bus charging system to the new Vy Buss AB depot in Jönköping. The bus depot of Jönköping Länstrafik (regional transport authority) will be fitted with 52 charging stations to power new Volvo buses, which will hit the streets in June 2021. The companies will also offer technical support and service as part of the agreement.

Finnish Kempower Oy’s charging system includes modular high-power cabinets and smart satellite charging terminals. The charging system is connected to a cloud service that allows dynamic control and balancing of charging power.

“The market for electric buses is growing rapidly both internationally and in Sweden. More and more cities are replacing buses run by fossil fuels with electric buses, aiming to reduce the environmental impact of traffic and make public transport more attractive. We are therefore pleased to assist VY Buss AB with the transition to sustainable public transport”, says Henrik Holmér, CEO of LaddAlliansen Nordic AB.

Electromobility and urban planning

“Through its engagement to make public transport more appealing, more efficient and more accessible by means of well-designed, quiet and emission-free high-capacity buses, Jönköping is demonstrating how the city’s public transport system can become more sustainable. This will be even more important as a means of keeping and attracting new passengers following the Covid-19 pandemic. Electromobility also opens up new opportunities for urban planning going forward.  We’re of course immensely proud to be part of this process and to support this development in Jönköping and other cities,” says Håkan Agnevall, President of Volvo Buses.

“We are delighted to be working together with Volvo Buses on this joint programme to electrify urban transport in Jönköping as part of our new agreement with Jönköpings Länstrafik (JLT). These new vehicles more than meet the demands of both JLT and Vy. It is also great that we are continuing our long partnership with Volvo and it’ll be both exciting and enjoyable to start up a new, even more environmentally sustainable urban transport system in Jönköping with the aim of further increasing customer satisfaction,” comments Andreas Ehrenborg, Technical Director of Vy Buss AB.

“We have offered a system solution where our far-ranging competence in electromobility was one of several factors that clinched the order from Vy Buss. Excellent experience from previous joint projects and proximity to our dealership in Jönköping also played a major role,” explains Martin Spjern, Sales Director Electric Buses at Volvo Buses.