BYD delivers 15 electric buses in Madrid
BYD delivered 15 electric buses to the Spanish capital this week. The new electric buses will be replacing diesel buses and will go into operation on line 52 between Puerta del Sol and Santamarca.
The electric 12-meter buses were ordered a year ago by the public transport operator EMT Madrid. The changeover is part of the plan to phase out all diesel buses in the fleet of Empresa Municipal de Transportes (EMT) by 2022. By 2027, the EMT bus fleet is to consist of one-third electric buses and two-thirds gas-powered buses. At present, the EMT fleet comprises 2,100 vehicles, which means around 700 electric buses in the coming years.
The public transport operator from Madrid relies on several bus manufacturers. In February EMT inaugurated the first ‘Línea Cero’ which is exclusively operated by electric buses with vehicles of the Spanish manufacturer Irizar. In March a second ‘Línea Cero’ followed. On these two lines the journeys for passengers are currently still free of charge, but as yet there are no such statements about line 52.
According to Madrid’s mayor José Luis Martínez Ameida, the 15 new electric buses are to connect the first two electric bus lines. Apart from that, Ameida was keen to point out the safety of public transport during the Corona crisis. “The Madrid City Council continues its commitment to sustainable mobility – especially in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic,” said Ameida. “Prevention and safety measures are being adopted for anyone using public transport.”
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