Hess wins tender in Lugano: 8 articulated e-buses on delivery by end 2025

Hess has won a tender for 8 articulated e-buses in Lugano (Switzerland). By the end of 2025, eight electric lighTram 19 OPP buses will be operating on route 5 (Viganello–Lugano Centre–Manno), each of which are rapidly recharged at their final stops. 

Following two tenders awarded in Italy (in Vicenza and Genoa), Hess continues to score commercial successes in the Italian-speaking city.

Hess wins tender in Lugano

In the international call for tenders issued by TPL, Hess won the contract for the delivery of the complete e-bus system, comprising eight electric articulated buses and the necessary charging infrastructure. The buses can run electrically for the entire daily operation of over 19 hours, without having to return to the depot, thanks to two charging stations which have been constructed along the route, Hess highlights. 

There are still about 60 Hess SwissAlpin midibuses currently operating in and around Lugano, some also on the TPL network. 

For public transport company TPL, the electrification of Route 5 is a first important step in the major transformation which, for almost 10 years, the company has prepared for with meticulous analysis, design and feasibility work. From 2015 until now, various kinds of study have been undertaken, from topographical assessments to others relating to the costs, energy and environmental performance of the company’s current fleet. From these studies, it became apparent which technology (diesel, hydrogen, hybrid or electric) is the most suitable solution for use in Lugano. The facts and figures showed that electric vehicles are the most suitable solution for the drive unit, Hess sums up. 

The decision to electrify Route 5 first is the result of a careful consideration of all the factors and actors. Roberto Ferroni, the Director of TPL, defines it as “a particular decision that underscores TPL’s definite determination to achieve sustainable results: Route 5 is actually one of the most challenging and frequently used“. It is one of the longest routes in Lugano (16.4 km there and back), so every bus covers almost 300 kilometres a day, as well as overcoming a difference in altitude of 117 metres. With about 2.2. million passengers per year, it has the second highest number of passengers after Route 3.