Enel X, Enel's subsidiary dedicated to innovative products and services, together with EV maker Arrival, have entered into a partnership to test the battery-electric bus in Italy. 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 tests will be carried out 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.

The partnership will 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.

Arrival recently achieved a key milestone of EU certification and received European Whole Vehicle Type Approval (EUWVTA), marking a critical step towards Arrival Buses carrying passengers on public roads in the UK and Europe.