Rovigo’s fleet goes electric with 19 new buses funded by a €9.88m Italy–EU programme

Busitalia Veneto has placed 19 new battery-electric buses into service in Rovigo, reinforcing the city’s shift towards fully electric urban mobility.

With this deployment, Rovigo now operates 25 electric buses, all manufactured by Iveco Bus, enabling the progressive displacement of diesel vehicles on key urban routes.

The initiative forms part of a €9.88 million programme that blends European recovery funds with national sustainable-mobility resources, positioning Rovigo among the smaller Italian cities advancing most rapidly in public transport decarbonisation.

The investment is built on two complementary financing lines.

The first, backed by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), allocates €4.3 million for eight 12-metre electric buses and associated onboard systems. Over €4 million of this is granted directly under PNRR capital earmarked for decarbonising local mobility.

The second financing stream, provided through the National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Mobility (PSNMS), assigns €5.57 million for eleven additional buses: eight 9.5-metre units and three 12-metre vehicles. This tranche specifically targets urban areas designated as high pollution zones. Busitalia Veneto contributes just under €500,000 in co-financing to complete the programme.

A fully modernised depot to support electric operations

A central pillar of the rollout is the renewal of the Via Petrarca depot, which has been redesigned for full electric operations. The site now features a 2 MW charging installation and 30 dedicated charging points, allowing simultaneous overnight charging of the entire fleet.

The depot upgrade, funded entirely through PNRR and PSNMS for €2.65 million, creates the operational backbone needed for Busitalia Veneto’s transition from mixed-technology services to predominantly electric urban operations.

The fleet itself consists of Iveco E-Way models: 17 buses in 12-metre configuration and eight 9.5-metre units, each capable of delivering up to 300 km of range depending on operating conditions.

Hybrid interurban buses arriving in 2025

Rovigo’s shift is not limited to its urban network. The transition strategy also includes the introduction of 16 hybrid interurban buses in 2025, complemented by an approved plan for 12 additional battery-electric interurban units over the next few years. This layered approach aims to ensure technology diversification while progressively reducing emissions across the wider transport corridor.

A coordinated effort to modernise public transport

For Busitalia Veneto, the Rovigo project demonstrates how targeted investment and industrial cooperation can accelerate decarbonisation in medium-sized provincial cities.

Flavio Nogara, President of Busitalia, highlights the wider vision:
“The investment in electric mobility in Rovigo is a concrete sign of a commitment we share with local institutions: to make public transport a driver of sustainable development, improving quality of life and supporting the area through a responsible path of modernisation.”

Gino Colella, CEO and General Manager of Busitalia Veneto, adds:
“The new electric buses, together with the complete renovation of the Via Petrarca depot and the upgrade of the interurban fleet with hybrid vehicles, provide a mix of technologies enabling high performance and a significant reduction in environmental impact. They represent a decisive step in the modernisation and sustainability of public transport in Rovigo.”

Discover Mobility Portal Data

Discover Mobility Portal Data, a new, exclusive market-intelligence platform offering reliable datasets and essential reports to support informed decision-making across the automotive sector—from combustion and electric vehicles to charging infrastructure.

Research, trend analysis and well-organised statistics, presented with clarity and precision, together with up-to-date insights—all just one click away. With Mobility Portal Data, better decisions are within reach.

READ MORE