Alstom receives another Aptis electric bus order
Alstom has received another order for its all-electric Aptis bus. The Toulon region in south-eastern France has ordered twelve Alstom tram-style buses, the first of which will be delivered at the end of this year.
The Aptis is based on the construction of trams. It is characterised by only four steerable wheels, which allow a low, flat floor in the elongated centre section. According to Alstom, the model also offers 25 per cent more window area than conventional buses. “We are proud of the trust placed in us by the Toulon Provence Méditerranée metropolitan area with the largest order for electric buses in southern France,” said Jean-Baptiste Eyméoud, Senior Vice President of Alstom in France.
The vehicles ordered by Toulon are designed for slow loading at night in the depot. The Aptis is also available for “Opportunity” charging at the end of each journey with ground charging solutions (SRS) or for charging via a pantograph.
With the Aptis, Alstom has recently won several orders in France. The port city of La Rochelle only ordered four units in July. In May, the Paris public transport operator RATP ordered 50 units – like Toulon, the twelve-metre version with three doors. The first order in March for twelve buses came from Strasbourg.
Since the prototype was presented in March 2017, four Aptis test vehicles have covered more than 40,000 kilometres under real operating conditions, according to Alstom. Incidentally, the model won the Innovation Award at the Busworld trade fair in 2017. In January 2019, it also received the official certificate that more than 60 per cent of the value added in France is generated during the construction of the electric bus. Since last September, the Aptis has also been included in the register of CATP, the French centre for the procurement of public transport. This referencing allows member authorities to order Aptis vehicles directly and easily through CATP without the need for lengthy and costly tendering procedures.
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