Enel X will test Arrival e-bus in Italy

Enel X and Arrival have entered into a partnership to test the zero-emission battery electric bus in Italy. Timing of the trial has not been specified so far.

The aim is to foster the growth of electrified public transport globally through increasingly high-performance and competitive solutions. The tests will be carried out by Enel X on the basis of an analysis matrix developed in-house, to look at all the main features of the Arrival Bus, the companies say.

The tests will be carried out in Italy, at the Vallelunga circuit, where Enel X Way’s advanced charging services and solutions will also be used to charge the vehicles. The success of these tests “will be a key building block for Enel to include the Arrival Bus within its portfolio of global electrification solutions”.

Arrival started trial of the bus in a testing facility in the UK in late 2021. The UK-based startup has debuted on Nasdaq in 2021. Also, Arrival has signed a partnership with Hitachi Europe regarding the providing of new bus and infrastructure solutions to the European bus industry.

Partnership between Arrival and Enel X

The partnership is set to enable Enel X to strengthen its offering to public transport authorities globally, providing a major boost to reach Enel’s target of more than 20,000 electric buses served by 2030.

Today, Enel X is the world’s largest supplier of e-bus solutions outside China. It currently operates more than 3,200 e-Buses globally. Enel X’s e-bus solution is modular and customizable to the customer’s specific needs and is offered through different business models that include, among others, leasing options. It includes a wide variety of products and services, including a complete end-to-end turnkey service (“e-Bus as a Service”). The complete turnkey solution can include: comprehensive design support, vehicles, financing options, battery leasing (“Battery as a Service”), customized management system platforms (including smart charging software developed in-house), charging infrastructure solutions provided by Enel X Way, depot construction, renewable energy sources, virtual power plant integration, including demand response schemes and smart mobility services.

“The partnership with Arrival is another important step towards achieving our goals of electrifying public transport globally. Public transport authorities face significant challenges in making cities smarter and more sustainable, and by offering our public transport solutions together with our many years of global experience, we want to give solid support to make this a reality,” said Francesco Venturini, CEO of Enel X. “Arrival Buses look very promising. They are a technologically advanced means of transport that, if integrated within our value offer, can potentially provide operators and end users with the best possible customer experience.”

“We are very excited to partner with Enel X and Enel X Way to assist bus operators and cities around the world as they accelerate the transition to electric vehicles, bringing cleaner air to our cities,” said Avinash Rugoobur, President of Arrival. “Our electric bus aims to set new standards in passenger experience while reducing costs for operators. By manufacturing our vehicles in local micro-factories, we are fostering a global green transition that is fair, bringing jobs to local communities, using local suppliers and building vehicles designed for local markets.”