Tender: Budapest to procure 50 electric buses

The Hungarian capital expects another 50 electric buses by 2025. The Budapest Transport Authority BKK has now published the corresponding tender.

mercedes-benz-ecitaro-electric-bus-elektrobus-2018-12 — Image shows Mercedes-Benz eCitaro bus

BKK is asking for bids for solo buses with electric drive. The tender also specifies required equipment, i.e. “spacious seats, air conditioning, accessibility, on-board cameras, modern passenger information system”.

The operation of the buses and the charging infrastructure are also part of the tender and have to be taken over by the service provider, according to the website of Budapest Public Transport. According to this, it is also Hungary’s first tender for electric buses.

Tenders for another 150 buses (50 solo and 100 articulated buses) have been running since September. However, these are not explicitly required to be BEVs in this case, only that the vehicles “comply with environmental protection requirements”.

In December 2021, the Hungarian capital ordered 48 battery-electric trolleybuses from a Solaris Bus & Coach consortium and Skoda Electric. These are now already in use.

hungarytoday.hu, ted.europa.eu (tender)