Norway has introduced a 235-vehicle battery-electric bus fleet in Vestfold as carrier Tide Buss officially started its new ten-year operating contract on 1 July. A nationwide changeover of bus operating contracts came into effect on 1 July, marking one of the most extensive reorganizations of Norway’s public transport system in recent years.
Norway has introduced a 235-vehicle battery-electric bus fleet in Vestfold as carrier Tide Buss officially started its new ten-year operating contract on 1 July.
A nationwide changeover of bus operating contracts came into effect on 1 July, marking one of the most extensive reorganizations of Norway’s public transport system in recent years. According to Norwegian trade media Bussmagasinet, the new concessions include large-scale fleet renewals, new operators, redesigned route networks and the commissioning of charging infrastructure in several counties.
The largest individual deployment took place in Vestfold, where carrier Tide Buss assumed responsibility for all local and school bus services under a ten-year public service contract valued at approximately NOK 6.5 billion (approximately €575 million). The concession covers more than 11 million scheduled kilometres annually and entered service with a fleet of around 235 battery-electric buses.
The fleet is composed primarily of Yutong electric buses. The remaining vehicles are Scania battery-electric chassis fitted with Higer-built Fencer F1 bodies. The Yutong vehicles include U12 and U15 low-entry models together with IC12E and IC15E interurban variants serving local, suburban and regional routes.
Vestfold starts operations with 235 battery-electric buses
The Vestfold concession represents one of the largest single-day introductions of electric buses in Norway, says Bussmagasinet. From the first day of operation, the county’s scheduled bus services are operated with battery-electric vehicles.
The contract covers the municipalities of Holmestrand, Horten, Tønsberg, Færder, Sandefjord and Larvik. Alongside the fleet deployment, the concession introduced a revised route network, updated timetables, new ticketing solutions and passenger information systems.
