On 16 April 2021, Keolis was awarded a ten-year contract, worth €150 million, by Västraffik, Gothenburg's public transport authority (PTA), to operate and maintain articulated fully electric buses. The contract is scheduled to come into force in June 2022.
It includes replacing the city’s biodiesel and biogas-powered buses with fully electric ones and adapting three depots so they can maintain and charge the electric vehicles. This is part of Västraffik’s goal of converting its city bus fleet into electric buses by 2030.
The award reflects Västraffik’s confidence in Keolis as a partner in converting its buses into electric ones across the region in order to provide reliable, clean and comfortable mobility solutions to Gothenburg’s residents and visitors.
Bernard Tabary, CEO International of Keolis Group said: “We are honoured that Västraffik, with whom we have been partners since 2010, has entrusted us with operating and maintaining the 100% e-bus network in Gothenburg. We look forward to supporting our public transport authority partner in rolling out electric buses and making the necessary changes to the infrastructure that will improve the daily life of Gothenburg’s residents. Keolis’ expertise in electromobility will doubtless be a key factor in the success of this project.”
The network features two lines and will carry 17 million passengers per year. The articulated electric buses are expected to cover 2.9 million kilometres annually. The e-buses can be charged at the three depots across the network, all of which will be adapted and equipped with overnight charging facilities. To deploy e-buses and adapt the infrastructure, Keolis can count on the best practices developed and lessons learnt in deploying alternative energy fleets in France, Norway, the Netherlands and the US. With these 100% electric buses, Keolis is committed to enhancing the passenger experience, providing a quieter and more sustainable transport solution, while preserving the environment.