Belgian City Places Order for 11 Electric Buses from Volvo
Published On Mar 15, 2016
Volvo will be delivering a package of 11 electric buses to Namur, a city in Belgium. Many countries in the European region are driving their transport systems towards more eco-friendly means, and foremost among them are states like Germany and Sweden. Other countries such as Belgium and UK are now following suit, working to replace conventional modes transport with cleaner and more environmentally friendly ones.
Apart from reducing pollution, electric buses also help to shave off unnecessary noise. The public transport authority of the city, TEC, had placed an order for 11 electric hybrid buses along with 2 automated bus chargers from Volvo.
“Every year the TEC Group transport more than 250 million passengers. Our social responsibility lies in developing transport solutions that are sustainable. This is done especially by improving the energy performance of our vehicle fleet. The Volvo 7900 Electric Hybrid meets our ambition. Thanks to its silent operation the quality of life for the citizens of Namur will be improved,” said Vincent Peremans, CEO of TEC Group.
Volvo’s 7900 Electric Hybrid bus enables a quiet and emission free drive, feeding off renewable energy for several kilometres at a stretch. The charging of the batteries takes a meagre few minutes, and the overall energy consumption is an astounding 601 percent lower as compared to conventional diesel engines. The emission rate is also down by 75 to 90 percent, depending on the conditions of the drive. Volvo will be responsible for servicing the vehicles and for the maintenance of the batteries and chargers over an undisclosed monthly charge. The buses will be delivered towards the end of this year.
“Electric bus systems is a cost-efficient solutions for cities to reduce the problems of poor air quality and noise. Together with ABB, Volvo has a complete and competitive offer for cities around the world that want to switch to a sustainable public transport system,” said Håkan Agnevall, President Volvo Buses.
