Public transportation administration company AtB in Trondheim leads the way in the introduction of alternative propulsion technologies. In 2010 they were among the first in Europe to order hybrid buses from Volvo. The new fully electric buses from Volvo will run on four routes in Trondheim, covering distances of between 12 and 15 km each, with operations due to start in August 2019. With the acquisition by operator Tide Buss of a total of 35 electric buses, including the 25 Volvo buses, Trondheim will have the largest electric bus fleet in Norway.
“This is a milestone for our long-term commitment to the electromobility transformation of public transport. We are delighted to establish the first large-scale system of fully electric buses in Norway in cooperation with Tide Buss, a pioneer in sustainable city transportation. Electrically powered bus operations is the most energy-efficient solution and contribute to a far better environment for everyone who lives, travels or spends time in the city. This is a trend that we naturally want to boost,” says Håkan Agnevall, President Volvo Buses.
“We are really pleased to continue expanding our operations in Trondheim, where we have been working with AtB since 2010. We are firmly committed to electrification of public transport and this initiative has major implications for us, serving as a showcase, not only in Norway but throughout Europe. What’s important to us when choosing a supplier is not just Volvo’s world-leading products and competitive terms, but also the confidence we have in the Volvo organization as a stable systems partner, that offers high security in our everyday operations,” says Jan-Helge Sandvåg, technical director at Tide Buss.
The fully electric buses are being sold as a complete turnkey package whereby Volvo takes care of all vehicle and battery maintenance at a fixed monthly cost. The buses will be fast-charged using opportunity charging, via rails installed at the end stops. The
charging stations will be based on an open interface known as OppCharge, which means they can be used by other electrified bus makes too. The buses will run on renewable energy so they will be entirely emission-free. Energy consumption for Volvo’s electric buses is about 80 per cent lower than for corresponding diesel buses.
Volvo’s fully electric buses have previously been ordered by cities such as Malmö (Sweden), Differdange (Luxemburg), and Harrogate (UK). In addition to the fully electric Volvo 7900 Electric, the Volvo Buses range of electrified vehicles includes hybrid models and electric hybrids (plug-in hybrids). In total the company has sold more than 3600 electrified Volvo buses globally.
