4,000 e-buses registered in Europe in the first three quarter of 2024 (+25%). Mercedes is leading

4,000 e-buses were sold in Europe in the first three quarters of 2024 versus 3,190 in the same period of 2023, marking a 25 percent increase, according to figures by ICCT (report is HERE) and focusing on buses and coaches over 3.5 ton. Around 35 percent of city buses registered in Europe in 2024 so far are battery-electric or fuel cell models.

The same ICCT issued a similar report for mid-year results, stating that the growth of zero emission buses was of 45%. Focusing on single markets, in Italy sales of zero emission buses increased 70 percent this year, still looking at the January-September period. Germany? +19 percent in the first half of 2024.

ICCT on the state of European zero emission bus and truck market

Zooming on the third quarter, 14 percent of the buses and coaches sold in that period in Europe are zero emission. ICCT underlines that “Buses and interurban coaches were 11% of all heavy-duty vehicle sales in the third quarter of 2024. Of the 8,400 buses sold, 1,200 were zero-emission vehicles, 14% of total sales; this is a drop from the second quarter share of 17%, but still above the first quarter share of 12%. Battery electric city buses were 36% of all city bus registrations, with 1,000 units registered in Q3 2024, and this was a drop from 40% in Q2 2024. Bus sales in the first three quarters of 2024 rose to 4,100, a 24% increase over the 3,300 buses sold in the first three quarters of 2023″.

ICCT strengthens that “Mercedes became the top-selling manufacturer of zero-emission buses by selling 180 units in Q3 2024, 16% of all sales. Mercedes overtook Yutong, which was the highest selling manufacturer in the second quarter. Shares of plug-in hybrid electric buses increased, doubling from 15 vehicles sold in the second quarter to 32 vehicles in Q3 2024. Sales were almost entirely in Germany (there was only a single sale outside, in Italy), and most of the buses were Solaris’s Urbino model”.