Latest order from Spanish cities for all-electric i2e buses position Irizar as domestic market leader for such vehicles
Spain Irizar has been awarded contracts from Madrid for 15 all-electric i2e citybuses and Barcelona for another four. With i2es in service or on order for Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao and San Sebastian, the Spanish builder says it’s the market leader in its home market.
The contract for Barcelona is with Transportes Metropolitanos de Barcelona (TMB) and the buses will be 18.73m articulated vehicles, the first of their type in Spain. Due to enter service in June 2018, they join a pair of 12-metre i2es that entered service in August 2014 and will be used in the first phase of converting route H16 to 100% electric operation.
Prior to this, Irizar and Donostibús will spend six months testing an articulated bus on route 28. Irizar will install an opportunity charging station (made for the group by Jema) to charge this bus throughout the day.
The 15 buses jointly purchased by Empresa Municipal de Transportes (EMT) and Madrid City Council will be the first 100% electric buses to join the fleet. In addition to the 12-metre vehicles, 15 chargers will be supplied for night charging to take place in depots. The onboard energy in the buses is 376 KwH and the power of the station is 100Kw. Delivery is scheduled for December and the vehicles will be used on a variety of routes.
Valencia has purchased its first unit while Bilbao has acquired two more 12-metre long buses, all of which must be delivered before the end of this year. These buses are being manufactured at the new premises of Irizar e-mobility in Aduna, Gipuzkoa. This marks the beginning of serial production and the creation of the first 100 jobs in this company.
Irizar e-mobility is the most recently created company within the Irizar Group and offers comprehensive turnkey electromobility solutions. It combines the knowledge and experience of all the Group’s companies to create comprehensive urban mobility solutions: 100% electric buses and their major infrastructure systems required for charging, drive and energy storage, all of which are designed and manufactured with the Group’s 100% European technology and with Irizar’s warranty and service quality.
The product range includes 10.8m and 12m city buses, articulated or bi-articulated buses and other electric vehicles. Irizar e-mobility’s first 100% electric, 18m BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) unit is completing durability and reliability testing prior to its distribution to customers, and it will be launched onto the market at the end of this year.
