On 13 December 2020, Keolis’ Netherlands subsidiary rolled out 246 fully electric buses in the provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel. The new e-bus network has 120 routes and 50 stops, connecting 180 villages and four medium-sized cities – Apeldoorn, Zwolle, Ede, Deventer – with a total population of 3.1 million. The new BYD fleet comprises 12-metre and 13-metre buses.
Keolis says its new e-buses are forecast to reduce emissions by 15,755 tonnes of CO2, 5.31 tonnes of nitrogen and 133 kilos of fine particulates over their 25 million annual kilometres. In recent months, over 800 employees have been trained to operate the e-buses, and some bus stations and depots have been upgraded to include 27 pantographs and more than 150 charging stations.
Announcing the launch, Bernard Tabary, CEO International at Keolis Group said: “We are very pleased to launch such a large number of electric buses in one go which will deliver benefits for both the environment and quality of life for people in these provinces. We are proud to do our part in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic by helping the two transport authorities rebuild passenger trust and reach their green goals with this safe, comfortable new fleet.”
