Malmö, Sweden Goes Electric With An Order For 60 Fully Electric Buses From Volvo

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Volvo is making a significant dent in transit emissions in its home country of Sweden with the announcement that it has received an order for 60 fully electric articulated buses from the transit operator in Malmö, Sweden.

The order from Scandinavian transit operator Nobina boosts orders for Volvo’s electric buses to 220 in just two cities in Sweden and reveals a clear preference for electric transit when given the option. In the past, orders for electric buses have trickled in from transit operators with few exceptions. These recent orders from Volvo represent the opening of the floodgates of orders as transit operators are increasingly looked at to deliver meaningful improvements in local air quality, lower cost operations, and noise reductions in city centers.

“It is immensely gratifying to receive yet another significant order for electric buses,” Håkan Agnevall, President of Volvo Buses, said. “In a short space of time we have taken orders for 220 electric buses from two of Sweden’s largest cities. This shows that electric buses are already a viable solution for cities that want public transport with long-term sustainability—buses that make concrete improvements to the environment.”

Electric buses, especially these massive articulated buses from Volvo, deliver a significant volume of transit capability to cities that make it hard to justify the purchase of additional combustion-powered buses. “Electromobility creates entirely new opportunities for urban planning and improves flexibility for cities that want to bring public transport closer to where people actually live and work,” Agnevall continued.

Volvo 7900 Electric Articulated Bus Specs:

• Length: 18 or 18.7 m
• Passenger capacity: Up to 150 passengers
• Driveline: Dual electric motors with two-speed transmission
• Max power output: 2 x 200 kW
• Max torque: 31 kNm at the driven axle
• Batteries: Lithium-ion batteries with up to 396 kWh energy storage capacity
• Charging system: OppCharge, Combo2/CCS

The new Volvo 7900 Electric Articulated buses will go into service next year, and with a capacity of 150 passengers each, they can haul a serious volume of residents around with each trip. Deliveries of the first new buses will start in January 2021 with the last buses from the order being delivered by April.

Volvo estimates the buses to be a staggering 80% more efficient than their diesel counterparts. That translates not only to cleaner air, but lower fuel costs for transit operators. Nobina clearly sees the benefit of electric buses, with large contracts for Volvo and BYD electric buses in recent months.

For charging, the new buses can be charged at OppCharge stations located along bus routes 5 and 7 in Malmö or they can recharge at the transit depot. “Volvo’s electric articulated buses and high battery capacity meet our needs and high demands for modern and sustainable bus traffic in Malmö,” Henrik Dagnäs, MD at Nobina Sweden said.

Source: Volvo via Green Car Congress