The order is the next step in achieving De Lijn’s objective to offer completely emission-free public transport by 2035.
De Lijn will also green its own fleet of buses and around fifty depots.
The order for 92 vehicles follows the award by the board of directors of De Lijn of a new framework agreement for a maximum of 500 standard e-buses (length: 12 m) to BYD Europe.
“These vehicles are produced in Hungary and will be delivered from the beginning of 2025,” says Ann Schoubs, director general of De Lijn.
“This order for the next series of e-buses is excellent news for travelers and the achievement of our climate goals. An investment of more than 43 million euros in the further greening of the bus fleet,” she adds.
The units will have the same customer-friendly equipment, such as USB charging points, an electric ramp, extra-wide screens, LED lighting and seats with recycled leather.
Lydia Peeters, Flemish Minister of Mobility and Public Works, says: “This means that diesel buses from a previous generation can be replaced by emission-free vehicles.”
“We are satisfied that De Lijn has succeeded in deploying all the investment resources of the Flemish government for greening before 2023,” she adds.
For future orders of standard e-buses, De Lijn retains the option to order both on this new framework agreement and on the previous one, which was awarded to Van Hool and VDL in 2021.
The cost over the entire life cycle, the technical quality and the delivery time will play an important role.
De Lijn expects the further commissioning of standard e-buses from Van Hool (36) and VDL (24) from the previous order in the coming months.
Van Hool’s e-buses are now a familiar sight in the Genk and Kortrijk regions. The first VDL vehicles have been offered to De Lijn and are currently being thoroughly tested.
The following e-buses are also on order:
- 109 articulated e-buses (Iveco)
- 6 midi e-buses (Yes-EU)
- 17 HOV e-buses (VDL)
