HESS, the Swiss bus manufacturer, secured contracts in two international tenders for the electrification of fleets in Lyon (France) and Geneva (Switzerland).
Over the next four years, the company will deliver a total of 127 electric articulated buses to Lyon and 121 articulated and bi-articulated buses to Geneva.
The contracts also include the delivery of charging infrastructure and options for up to 241 additional vehicles by 2030.
These new vehicles will significantly expand the electric bus fleets in the two major cities.
HESS consistently receives orders, leading to the expansion of its capabilities in Bellach, Solothurn, and the new plant in Portugal.
As a result, the number of employees across the group will increase to approximately 800 employees. Around 40 additional jobs will be created in Bellach, especially in the areas of diagnostics, mechanics, automation, and software development.
In the coming months, structural measures will also be implemented to expand and optimize production.
In Lyon, the administration and politicians have approved an investment package that includes the purchase of a modern fleet of trolleybuses with powerful batteries. These vehicles can also be used on routes previously served by diesel buses.
The overhead wire network will be expanded, but the longer sections of the new lines will remain without overhead wires. In these sections, trolleybuses will operate solely on battery power.
These new vehicles will complement the fleet of 34 similar vehicles already in use since February 2021.
The HESS buses currently in service operate on route C13, connecting the eighth district of Lyon (Grange Blanche) with Caluire-et-Cuire (Montessuy) and are used by over 27,000 passengers every day.
Starting from spring 2024, line C13 will operate entirely with the new HESS articulated buses, which can cover up to 40 percent of the route on battery power without overhead wires. Line C11 will follow in September.
In Geneva, TPG (Transports Publics Genevois) plans to have a fully electric bus fleet by 2030.
As a system provider, HESS offers a turnkey system consisting of vehicles and charging infrastructure. Hitachi Energy (formerly Hitachi ABB Power Grids until 2020) will provide the necessary infrastructure as a subcontractor for HESS.
The first new electric HESS buses are expected to operate on the line starting in 2025.
The vehicles will be recharged through fast-charging stations at terminal stops and selected stops.
Fast-charging technology allows for quick charging, minimizing vehicle downtime.
