The Dutch electric bus manufacturer Ebusco is starting to deliver the first Ebusco 3.0 from series production. These are 12-metre buses that will go on the road for Transdev in the Hilversum region. Over the next few months, the Ebusco 3.0 buses will be delivered in stages.
Due to problems in the supply chain, the buses had been waiting for the last parts since the end of last year. In the medium term, the company is aiming for a production capacity of 3,000 buses per year. Ebusco had already presented the 3.0 in autumn 2019 in the 12-metre version and also presented the 18-metre articulated bus variant at the end of 2022.
“Besides the usual learning curve when starting a new production line, in particular issues in the supply chain caused the completion of the buses to take longer than expected,” says Bob Fleuren, COO at Ebusco. “However, our team has worked extremely hard over the past few months and we are therefore proud that Transdev can now hit the road with the first Ebusco 3.0 bus. With this first series, a solid foundation has been established for our continued ramp-up, so we expect to make considerable progress in the next few months.”
The Ebusco 3.0 relies on a composite body. Due to the lightweight construction, energy consumption should decrease and the range increase. Since the batteries are integrated into the floor (and not installed on the roof as in many electric buses), the bus has a low centre of gravity “with excellent road holding and optimal comfort”, according to the manufacturer. However, the company continues to offer the Ebusco 2.2 with conventional bodywork.
Transdev has had some Ebusco 2.2s in its Dutch fleet since 2020, and the order for the 3.0 vehicles had already been placed by Transdev in 2019 shortly after the premiere of the lightweight bus. “With the Ebusco 2.2 buses, we are already saving around 15 million kilograms of CO2 per year,” says Manu Lageirse, CEO of Transdev Nederland. “We are very proud to take another big step in our sustainability strategy by adding the Ebusco 3.0 to our fleet. We have already tested the Ebusco 3.0 extensively and are looking forward to finally welcoming our passengers in this sustainable bus.”
Keyword: Ebusco starts customer deliveries of the 3.0