Ikarus 120e V4Image: IkarusAs previously reported, the North Macedonian Ministry of Transport launched a tender for battery-electric solo buses at the end of February, with bids accepted only until the end of March. The tender specified that the electric buses must have a minimum range of 325 kilometres and a battery capacity of at least 360 kWh. The 150 battery-electric buses were to be supplied as a complete package, including 75 charging stations, each with a minimum output of 120 kW. The requirements also included a four-year warranty on the buses and batteries, as well as a ten-year supply of spare parts.The contract has now been awarded to Ikarus – a company that may be particularly familiar to former citizens of the GDR. The Hungarian manufacturer once exported over 30,000 buses to the GDR, including both city buses and coaches. Following political upheaval in the Eastern Bloc, the company experienced a decline, culminating in insolvency in 2007. However, Ikarus embarked on a revival in 2010, and for the past five years, the company has included electric buses in its portfolio – specifically, the Ikarus 120e. Currently, two units are in operation in Meiningen, Thuringia, while another is being tested by Chemnitzer Verkehrs-AG for a period of 30 months.The order from North Macedonia now represents the largest single contract for electric buses in Ikarus’s corporate history. Specifically, the order was awarded to the subsidiary Electrobus Europe, which will handle the delivery of the 150 battery-electric buses and 75 charging stations to North Macedonia. Around 100 of these electric buses will be deployed in the capital, Skopje, with the remaining 50 distributed to other cities.The model Ikarus will supply to North Macedonia is the Ikarus 120e V4, the latest version of the Ikarus 120e. This solo bus measures 12.9 metres in length and offers a range of 350 to 580 km, depending on the LFP battery configuration.“The opportunity for this outstanding new order by volume demonstrates a strong validation of Ikarus’ technical preparedness and international competitiveness, and is a key milestone in the successful implementation of our company’s market strategy, through which we reinforce our position in the electric vehicle market of Central and South-Eastern Europe. We are particularly proud that our offer is built on the collaboration of multiple nations and cultures, and that at key points of implementation we can rely on the expertise of local North Macedonian companies,” says János Hunor Kelemen, Sales Director of the Ikarus Group.ikarus.hu