Volvo supplies 64 hybrids to Belgium

Volvo Buses has received a large order for electrified buses from Belgian operator OTW. The order for 64 buses is the largest order yet for Volvo’s latest selfcharging hybrid electric bus, the 7900 S-Charge. The new buses will be delivered during the second half of this year, for use in the regions of Liège, Charleroi, Brabant Wallon and Namur – Luxembourg. “Belgium has yet again proved to be a forerunner in electrified public transport solutions, and we at Volvo Buses are very pleased to be a partner in enabling Belgium’s ambitions to create an attractive, sustainable and efficient public transport service,” said Anna Westerberg, President of Volvo Buses. The order is part of a larger framework agreement with OTW, which includes Volvo Buses and other partners. OTW has plans to add a total of 430 12-metre hybrid buses to its vehicle fleet over the next four years. In 2018 Volvo supplied around 100 electric hybrid buses to the operator. “The Volvo 7900 S-Charge meets our technical and commercial requirements perfectly. The total cost of ownership (TCO) and the delivery time made the difference for us compared to competitors,” added Vincent Peremans, Administrateur Général de OTW. The 7900 S-Charge was launched in 2020 and can run on electric energy alone for distances up to one kilometre and at speeds up to 50 km/h, which Volvo says leads to significant fuel savings and allows emissions and noise to be eliminated, for instance at bus stops and in urban low-emission zones. “The Volvo 7900 S-Charge is one of our cleanest buses, generating up to 40% lower CO2 emissions than a comparable diesel bus. With the support of Volvo’s geofencing system, Volvo Zone Management, the vehicle can be programmed to drive in electric mode in certain pre-defined areas such as low-emission zones,” said Volvo Buses Belgium’s Eric De Roy. The vehicles will be manufactured at Volvo Buses’ production facility in Wroclaw, Poland.