Iveco Bus, a brand of Iveco Group, has secured an order from BusGruppe purchasing group in Germany to supply 580 electric and hybrid buses over five years.
The BusGruppe purchasing group is a consortium of transportation operators including Verkehrsbetriebe Bachstein, CeBus, KVG Stade, Omnibusbetrieb von Ahrenschildt, Pülm Reisen and Reisebüro Schmidt.
Among the 580 city buses, there will be 250 fully electric models.
The total value of the tender is estimated at up to €235m ($244m).
The agreement includes up to 200, 12m crossway low entry Elec buses, and 50 articulated E-way electric buses, all equipped with high-energy-density 69.3kWh NMC battery packs which boasts an energy density of 180Wh/kg.
Additionally, the order includes up to 150, 18m urbanway hybrid articulated buses and 180, 12m crossway low entry intercity buses, all powered by a 360hp Euro VI Step E-compliant cursor 9 engine that is compatible with XTL (X-To-Liquid) renewable fuels.
In addition to electric buses, the contract also includes an option for another 330 vehicles.
This part of the order will comprise urbanway hybrid articulated city buses and crossway low entry intercity buses.
These will be powered by FPT Industrial's cursor nine-litre engines, which are compatible with renewable fuels.
Iveco Bus will customise the vehicles with features like cantilever seating, air conditioning, video surveillance, Wi-Fi, fuel-saving systems, and USB charging ports to meet BusGruppe’s specifications.
The first deliveries of the buses are scheduled to begin in 2025 and will continue through to 2030.
Iveco Group Bus Business Unit president Domenico Nucera said: “Our winning proposal of products and services have allowed us to expand our market reach with unprecedented success. This latest tender cements 2024 as an absolute record year for Iveco Bus, demonstrating our ability to fully meet the diverse requirements of our customers and provide the most efficient and customisable solutions for their unique missions.
“We are proud that the BusGruppe has placed its trust in Iveco Bus, and we look forward to supporting this valuable customer with our sustainable, high-performance people transport solutions.”
Verkehrsbetriebe Bachstein (the company responsible for the tender) managing director Jan Behrendt said: “By awarding the contract to Iveco Bus, the BusGruppe and the other partners involved in the tender see themselves on a good path into the future.
“The continuous modernisation of the fleet and now also the entry into electromobility put us in a position to continue to develop in a mobility market characterized by increasing competition.”
