13 Volvo Electric Buses To Enter Service In Malmö

Nobina, the public transportation operator in Malmö, Sweden, will add 13 new Volvo 7900 electric buses to its fleet by the end of 2017. The Volvo 7900 Electric buses use about 80% less energy than corresponding diesel buses. They will be recharged at the end of the line using overhead charging equipment. Recharging is expected to take no more than 6 minutes.

To make the process even cleaner, the electricity needed to replenish the batteries will come from renewable resources. The electric buses will operate on the city’s #7 bus route, which is just over 10 miles long. Volvo has sold more than 3,500 hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric buses worldwide. The order from Nobina represents the single largest purchase of electric buses from Volvo to date.

“It’s really gratifying that one of Malmö’s main routes will now be completely electrified with our quiet and exhaust free electric buses. Electrically powered bus operations contribute to a far better environment for everyone who lives, travels or spends time in the city, and this is a trend we naturally want to boost,” says Jörgen Sjöstedt, head of Volvo Buses for Scandinavia. “It’s also highly significant that we are yet again delivering to Nobina, to whom we have been supplying buses for more than 80 years. Nobina is one of our most important partners.”

The Volvo 7900 is 40 feet long and has a low floor and three large door openings to facilitate easy boarding and unloading of passengers. It is equipped with lithium-ion batteries that are specially designed for fast recharging using opportunity charging equipment supplied by Swedish manufacturer ABB. Those chargers are part of a package that will see 8 more Volvo electric buses in the city of Harrowgate in the UK. They can be configured for charging power up to 600 kW.

Volvo electric buses have also recently entered service in the city of Differdange in Luxemburg.

Source: Electric Cars Report