More and more cities all over the world are deploying electric buses and the latest to announce plans to do so is Burgas, in Bulgaria. 44 battery powered buses will be supplied by Spanish company Irizar in the deal. This will be the first batch of non-emission mass transit vehicle ever put on the city roads. It is also one of the largest ever in the country.
The buses will come in two different lengths: 12 and 18 meters. The former will make up 34 of the order, while the remaining ten will be the latter. The former will seat 24 and offer a wheelchair segment. It will have three doors. The latter will offer seating for 32, also have a wheelchair segment and four doors.
The buses will use lithium-ion batteries made by Irizar itself, and chargers made by its subsidiary, Jema Energy. The 100 KW chargers will charge the buses to full capacity under 3 hours using a proprietary smart charging system.
Another subsidiary, Datik, will provide telemetry services for monitoring and managing the electric bus fleet.
The fleet will be managed by Burgas Bus, a Bulgarian public transport company with experience in mass transit operations. The company currently has more than 130 buses on different routes. It had been involved in the design of the electric buses to ensure they are attractive and modern.
The first units will be delivered by September this year. Bulgar is the fourth largest city in Bulgaria. Hopefully, other cities will follow Bulgar’s lead in committing to zero-emission mobility.