VinFast and Durango Drivers’ Union sign MOU on green transition of public transport in Mexico; potential sale of 3k VF 5 electric cars and 300 electric buses

VinFast and the Durango Drivers’ Union in Mexico signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on the green transition of public transport, including the potential purchase of 3,000 VF 5 electric cars and 300 electric buses by Durango Driver’s Union for operation in Mexico. Under the agreement, both parties... Read more →


California’s SamTrans orders 108 hydrogen fuel cell buses from New Flyer; largest fuel-cell electric contract yet for company

New Flyer of America Inc. (New Flyer), a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc. (NFI) and a leader in zero-emission electric mobility solutions, announced a new firm order for 108 zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell-electric Xcelsior CHARGE FC 40-foot transit buses from San Mateo County Transit (SamTrans), marking the largest single fuel... Read more →


Transdev orders 96 battery-electric buses from Solaris

Transdev Nederland Holding placed an order with Solaris Bus & Coach for 96 zero-emission battery buses. Deliveries are scheduled for the last quarter of 2025. The fleet of battery-powered Solaris buses will serve public transportation in the province of Utrecht, central Netherlands. T Transdev Nederland Holding is one of the... Read more →


Solaris to deliver 30 electric buses to the Netherlands

Solaris will deliver 30 electric buses to the operator Arriva in the Netherlands. 26 Urbino 12 electric and 4 articulated Urbino 18 electric will serve traffic in West-Brabant region and will join Arriva’s fleet in 2025. The investment is part of Arriva’s plan to make the entire bus fleet in... Read more →


Toshiba Corporation has agreed with Kawasaki Tsurumi Rinko Bus Co., Ltd. (Rinko Bus) and Drive Electro Technology Co., Ltd. (Drive Electro Technology) jointly to study a demonstration project to confirm the effectiveness of a super-rapid charging battery powered by a pantograph. The project is expected to start operation in November... Read more →


IVECO BUS, the urban, intercity and tourist bus brand of Iveco Group, received three new contracts for electric mobility solutions in France. In total, 31 hydrogen fuel cell buses and 20 battery electric buses have been ordered since the beginning of September. Cannes Lérins Urban Community ordered 12 GX 337... Read more →


EPA announces $965M in fourth round of clean school bus funding

The US Environmental Protection Agency announced the latest round of funding from the Clean School Bus Rebate Program with up to $965 million available to school districts. This fourth round of funding will build on the previous nearly $3 billion in investments being distributed nationwide to further improve air quality... Read more →


California, New York, Illinois lead the conversion to electric school buses

California, New York and Illinois are the top three states for total electric school buses, according to a new analysis released by US PIRG Education Fund and Environment America Research & Policy Center. The three states also lead the nation in combined federal and state investments into electric bus fleets.... Read more →


Allison Transmission and Cummins will integrate and certify a Cummins B-Series engine with the Allison eGen Flex electric hybrid propulsion system for the transit market. The integration will meet the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles – Phase 3 and provide a reliable low emission propulsion solution in... Read more →


On September 9, the World Electric Vehicle Day, the 2000th electric bus appeared on Moscow streets. The jubilee electric bus was assembled at the Sokolniki Car Repair and Construction Plant (SVARZ). The vehicle will operate on the route M3 “Serebryany Bor - Budyonnogo Prospekt”, connecting the north-west, center and east... Read more →


California launches $500M funding effort to accelerate switch to zero-emission school buses; ZESBI

California is launching a new statewide funding program that will put 1,000 new, zero-emission school buses on the road. The program will distribute $500 million to school districts and other educational entities to replace aging school buses with zero-emission vehicles and purchase needed infrastructure. The Zero-Emissions School Bus and Infrastructure... Read more →


Belfort, France orders 8 Solaris hydrogen buses

Solaris will deliver eight articulated hydrogen buses to the city of Belfort, France. The Urbino 18 hydrogen unit will be delivered to the customer in the second half of 2025. The vehicles were purchased by the public entity SMTC (Le Syndicat Mixte des Transports en Commun du Territoire de Belfort),... Read more →


Additional $200M Environmental Bond Act funding now available for zero-emission school buses in NY state

An additional $200 million is now available in New York to school districts and bus operators for zero-emission school buses through the second installment of funding from the $4.2-billion Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act (Bond Act). The funding, distributed through the New York School Bus... Read more →


REVG Kerpen orders 26 Solaris hydrogen buses

Solaris continues to supply hydrogen buses to the German market. This time the customer is REVG Kerpen, which has ordered a total of 26 Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen buses. The manufacturer has already delivered the first two units to Kerpen, marking the debut of Solaris buses in the city. Deliveries... Read more →


On 12 June 2024, the EU announced import tariffs on Chinese EVs ranging from 17.4% up to 38.1%. (Earlier post.) The justification for such trade tariffs is an unfair subsidization by the Chinese government, which the Commission claims undermines the domestic (European) automotive industries. However, Mika Takahashi, Technology Analyst at... Read more →


Solaris to provide 10 hydrogen buses to Martin Uher Bus incCzech Republic

Martin Uher Bus, a private transport company, has selected Solaris to supply the first hydrogen buses for its fleet. Ten Urbino 12 hydrogen vehicles will operate public transport in the Central Bohemian region around Prague. The buses are scheduled for delivery in the end of 2025. The manufacturer will supply... Read more →


Daimler Buses is delivering 10 eCitaro electric articulated buses to HEAG mobile in Darmstadt. With the handover of the electric buses, the share of electric buses in the fleet of the mobility service provider will increase to around 65%. The new eCitaro is equipped with the NMC3 battery generation. This... Read more →


Iveco France wins Semitan, Nantes Métropole contract for 70 electric buses

The call for tenders commission of Nantes Métropole has awarded the contract for the acquisition of new battery-electric buses to the manufacturer Iveco France to replace end-of-life buses and support the development of the Naolib network. Semitan has been mandated by Nantes Métropole to lead this acquisition project, which is... Read more →


Solaris to supply four hydrogen buses to Artois Mobilités

Solaris has secured a new contract in the French market. The manufacturer will supply four 12-meter Urbino hydrogen buses to Artois Mobilités for TADAO transport network in northern France. The contract will be completed at the beginning of 2025. Solaris Bus & Coach’s offer was selected in a tender issued... Read more →


Nobina, a major transport operator in Sweden, has ordered a total of 88 Solaris electric buses for its fleet operating in three regions: Skåne, Värmland and Malmö. This includes 55 units of the Urbino 15 LE electric as reinvestment for Skåne region, 15 units for Värmland, and 18 units of... Read more →


German carrier Oberbergische Verkehrgesellschaft (OVAG) has ordered 15 Solaris hydrogen buses. These vehicles will enhance the public transport fleet in the German city of Gummersbach. The contract will be executed in 2025. The 15 Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen buses are equipped with fuel cells with a total power of 70... Read more →


ABB has launch of an innovative new package consisting of AMXE250 motor and HES580 inverter, tailored for electric buses. The motor offers high torque density for improved dynamic performance, as well as a quieter operation for increased passenger comfort. The first 3-level inverter in the market for electric buses, the... Read more →


EPA selects some 530 school districts to receive nearly $900M from Clean School Bus Program rebate competition

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected approximately 530 school districts spanning nearly every state, Washington, D.C., and several Tribes and US territories to receive nearly $900 million in funds from the Clean School Bus Program rebate competition to replace older, diesel fueled school buses. These rebates will help... Read more →


IndianOil equips Indian Army with hydrogen fuel cell bus; MoU to deploy jointly fuel cell technology for heavy-duty e-mobility

IndianOil has handed over a hydrogen fuel cell bus to the Indian Army. This landmark event was marked by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between IndianOil and the Indian Army to pioneer the deployment of hydrogen fuel cell technology for heavy-duty e-mobility. The Indian Army is committed... Read more →


Pollution Probe, in partnership with the Mobility Futures Lab, RFS Energy and Southland Transportation Ltd., presented the results of a pilot program demonstrating the use of an electric school bus (ESB) in Calgary, Alberta. From September 2022 to June 2023, a single Blue Bird ESB was deployed in collaboration with... Read more →


Daimler Buses delivered a turnkey, electrified depot for ESWE Verkehrsgesellschaft in Wiesbaden and supplied a total of 120 battery-electric eCitaro buses since the start of the project in 2019. The experts from Daimler Buses Solutions GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler Buses, set up the entire e-infrastructure required to... Read more →


The public transport company of the Flemish Region of Belgium, De Lijn, has awarded a framework agreement for up to 100 vehicles, allowing it to rely on Irizar e-mobility’s 100% electric Irizar ie tram buses for premium public transport services. The vehicles will be destined for special projects, such as... Read more →


Cummins’ Accelera Battery System to power BMC Otomotiv electric transit buses in Europe; BP97E NMC battery pack

Accelera by Cummins, the zero-emissions business segment of Cummins Inc., is collaborating with BMC Otomotiv, a leading manufacturer of buses and trucks in Turkey and throughout Europe, to provide battery solutions for their transit bus operations. The companies have signed a letter of intent (LOI) for Accelera to power BMC’s... Read more →


GILLIG expands zero-emission lineup with introduction of BAE Systems & Ballard-powered hydrogen fuel cell electric bus

GILLIG, a leading manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses in the United States, will be expanding its transit bus portfolio with a hydrogen fuel cell powered bus, to be developed in collaboration with BAE Systems and Ballard Power Systems. The GILLIG hydrogen fuel cell bus, which is currently in development, will... Read more →


Daimler Buses and battery systems expert BMZ Poland partner for next generation of e-bus batteries

Daimler Buses and battery systems expert BMZ Poland, a key entity in the BMZ Holding group, have entered into a strategic partnership for the development and supply of the next generation of e-bus batteries. Together with Daimler Buses, BMZ will further develop the existing battery technology specifically for the requirements... Read more →


In-der-City-Bus GmbH (ICB), the public transport operator in Frankfurt am Main, has placed an order for 9 Solaris Urbino 18 articulated hydrogen buses. There are already 23 hydrogen-powered Solaris buses running in the city, supplied in 2022 and 2024. Deliveries of the articulated buses from the latest order are scheduled... Read more →


Ballard announces largest order in company history: 1,000 fuel cell engines for Solaris

Ballard Power Systems has signed a Long Term Supply Agreement (LTSA) with its customer Solaris Bus & Coach for the supply of 1,000 hydrogen fuel cell engines through 2027 for the European transit bus market. The LTSA consolidates existing orders for approximately 300 fuel cell engines, while adding after-market and... Read more →


Volvo Buses is extending its European electromobility offer to include operations outside and between cities. The new Volvo 8900 Electric is an electric low-entry bus for city, intercity, and commuter operations. The Volvo 8900 Electric is built on the all-new Volvo BZR Electric chassis—a platform based on a Volvo Group... Read more →


Cologne puts in 4th order for hydrogen Solaris buses, bringing hydrogen fleet total to 84

The public transport operator in Cologne, Regionalverkehr Köln GmbH (RVK), has once again chosen Solaris as the supplier of hydrogen-powered buses. Nine of the buses are Urbino 12 hydrogen buses with a length of 12 meters, while eleven are articulated Urbino 18 hydrogen buses. After the order is fulfilled, the... Read more →


Daimler Truck marks 1,000th delivery of Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley battery-electric school bus

Daimler Truck has delivered 1,000 Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley battery-electric school buses in the North American market. The Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley, the electric school bus model in the Thomas Built Buses product portfolio, was unveiled in 2017. The 1,000th Jouley Bus, part of a larger order, goes to the Meriwether County... Read more →


GILLIG to supply King County Metro with up to 395 battery electric buses

Under a new five-year contract, GILLIG will supply King County Metro with an initial order of 89 GILLIG Low Floor Battery Electric buses as well as the option to additionally purchase up to 306 of the zero-emission vehicles. The order marks the first procurement of GILLIG Battery Electric Buses for... Read more →


Solaris to supply 22 Urbino 12 hydrogen buses to Île-de-France Mobilités

With the support of the CATP (Centrale d’Achat du Transport Public), Île-de-France Mobilités launched a tender for the purchase and maintenance of 22 hydrogen buses. The aim is to evaluate the potential of hydrogen technology for the region’s public transport system. Solaris Bus & Coach has now been selected to... Read more →


GILLIG delivered the first 35 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to Albuquerque’s ABQ RIDE, with an additional 18 scheduled for mid-2024. This inaugural purchase marks a major transition for the agency as they replace old diesel-hybrid buses with new, eco-friendly, and cost-effective GILLIG buses. These buses are designed to provide... Read more →


Motiv Power Systems completes Altoona testing with highest score for medium-duty electric bus in 7 year or higher service-life category

Motiv Power Systems announced that its electric shuttle bus built in partnership with Turtle Top and Davey Coach has successfully completed the Federal Transit Authority’s (FTA) Bus Test Program in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Motiv’s shuttle bus performed well across all categories, and received an overall score of 89.1 on a 100... Read more →


CALSTART has released this year’s Zeroing in on ZEBs, an annual report funded by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The report provides an updated index of newly adopted transit zero-emission buses (ZEBs) that have been funded, ordered, delivered, and/or deployed within the United States and Canada according to data collected... Read more →


At mobility move 2024, the electric bus conference with associated trade fair of the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV), held from 5- 7 March in Berlin, bus manufacturer Daimler Buses will be presenting for the first time a Mercedes-Benz eCitaro G fuel cell—an electric articulated bus with a hydrogen... Read more →


GILLIG, a leading manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses in the US, announced that GERCO LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company, has acquired select assets from Lightning eMotors and Lightning Systems through a receivership sale, and has hired a number of former engineering employees of Lightning. In line with this... Read more →


NREL announces $5M Clean Bus Planning Awards (CBPA) program

The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) announced the $5-million Clean Bus Planning Awards (CBPA) program; the CBPA is funded by the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office). Managed by NREL, the CBPA program provides free technical assistance to create comprehensive and customized bus electrification plans for school... Read more →


HEULIEZ, the urban bus brand of Iveco Group has been selected by Régie des Transports Métropolitains (RTM, the public transport operator of Marseille) to supply 200 electric buses, with a contract worth €125 million. This significant order marks a major step forward in the large-scale electrification of Marseille’s public transport... Read more →


Galați, Romania buying 40 Solaris e-buses

The authorities of the city of Galați, Romania, selected Solaris as the supplier of 40 modern electric buses through a tender procedure. Solaris will deliver 20 battery buses in a 9-meter version and another 20 with a length of 12 meters. The e-buses will be equipped with both plug-in charging... Read more →


German transport operator LNVG contracts for 23 Solaris hydrogen buses

Solaris Bus & Coach and public transport operator Lokale Nahverkehrsgesellschaft mbH (LNVG) in the District of Groß-Gerau signed a contract for the supply of 15 Urbino 12 hydrogen units and 8 articulated Urbino 18 hydrogen buses. This is the first order placed by this carrier with Solaris. The hydrogen buses... Read more →


Solaris has signed a contract with German operator Ruhrbahn GmbH to supply 19 hydrogen-powered buses to Essen. The vehicles are scheduled for delivery in 2024 and 2025, marking the first presence of Solaris buses on the streets of Essen. The order includes the delivery of nine Urbino 12 hydrogen models... Read more →


IVECO BUS has won a €300-million contract to supply 411 E-WAY units to ATAC S.p.A—Azienda per la mobilità, the public transport company of Italy’s capital city. With these E-WAY units, Rome’s public transport company will have the largest fleet of IVECO BUS electric buses operating in the country. The delivery... Read more →


Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) ordered a record 180 electric, zero-emission school buses from Blue Bird Corporation, including 150 All American and 30 Vision model buses. The order is the single largest order of electric school buses from a school district in Blue Bird’s history. Blue Bird All American... Read more →


Siemens acquires Heliox, specialist in eBus and eTruck fast charging solutions

Siemens AG has completed the acquisition of Heliox, a provider of DC fast charging solutions, serving eBus and eTruck fleets and passenger vehicles. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Heliox employs approximately 330 people. The acquisition complements Siemens’ existing eMobility charging portfolio, adding products and solutions ranging from 40 kW to megawatt... Read more →