Electric buses: Future of sustainable transport

Greening the bus fleet

Greening the bus fleet seems to be the key challenge of the EBS programme. Over the next 10 years, more than 2,000 buses of different types (from 8.5 to 18 m) will be procured and put into service. We’re making this task achievable by:

• Working with standard specifications for all bus types.

• After the introduction of the first e-buses, we are now moving on to larger orders. In 2025, thanks to a one-time “turbo boost” from the Flemish government, we will order around 550 to 600 new e-buses. In the following years, approximately 200 per year.

• Learning from our colleagues in other Western European countries.

Phased integration

We are opting for a phased integration of electric buses that mainly charge overnight at their depots. We now have midi, standard, and articulated e-buses in operation, each achieving an electric range of at least 220 km per charge under the most demanding conditions. Many suppliers even offer buses with an electric range exceeding 350 km.

• Standard e-buses (12 m):

  • The first series of 60 buses has entered service in Genk-Winterslag, Sint-Niklaas, Destelbergen, and Kortrijk.

  • An additional batch of 92 buses is being phased in from the depots in Mortsel, Bruges, Hasselt, and Winterslag.

  • A further 140 vehicles have already been ordered.

• Midi e-buses (8.5 m):

  • Seven buses in use in Brugge since summer 2023.

  • Six additional buses have been in service in Mechelen since autumn 2024.

• Articulated e-buses:

  • The first batch of 109 Iveco buses will be put into service in 2025 and 2026 from the depots in Hasselt, Winterslag, Tielt-Winge, Leuven-North, Broechem, Sint-Niklaas, Destelbergen, Zomergem, and Bruges.

  • An additional 150 articulated e-buses have already been ordered.

Future plans

In the coming years we will continue to procure new e-buses, and diesel buses will disappear from the fleet. By 2035, all buses with a combustion engine will be replaced by zero-emission buses.

Depots

A lot of attention is being paid to the depots. The conversion of complex depots can take up to 7 years due to:

• Permits

• The need for additional charging capacity in collaboration with Fluvius

• Soil remediation work

• Depots that also house trams and maintenance centres

• Public-private partnerships

There will also be new depots for e-buses, such as Deurne Luchthaven, Rumst and Gent Wissenhage.

Current situation and future planning

Obviously we can’t tackle all 50 depots at the same time. We want to have as little impact on service provision as possible at operational depots. This means that our existing depots will be electrified in phases.

E-bus Van Hool

36 Van Hool e-buses are in service from the Winterslag and Kortrijk depots. These buses have excellent e-autonomy and contribute to a cleaner environment.

E-bus VDL

24 VDL electric buses are in service from the depots in Destelbergen and Sint-Niklaas. These buses, like all our other recent electric buses, are fully designed as electric battery buses.

E-bus Yes-EU

13 midi e-buses from Yes-EU are in service in Bruges and Mechelen. These compact buses are ideal for urban areas and offer a quiet and emission-free ride. They are an important step towards sustainable mobility.

E-bus Iveco

109 articulated e-buses ordered from Iveco. They are being gradually phased in from the depots Hasselt, Winterslag, Tielt-Winge, Leuven-North, Broechem, Sint-Niklaas, Destelbergen, Zomergem, and Bruges. With these 18-meter-long e-buses, we can transport more than 100 passengers.

E-bus BYD

92 additional e-buses with a length of 12 meters are being gradually put into service. The first 33 vehicles will be stationed at Mortsel; the others in Winterslag, Hasselt, and Bruges. These e-buses from BYD are assembled in Hungary.

In the meantime, we are electrifying our existing depots and planning the construction of new ones. E-buses can only be put into service once they can be charged at their depot.

Stelplaatsen - elektrificatiewerken 2019-2027

The conversion of existing depots or the construction of new ones is a complex process:

• Since e-buses and their charging infrastructure require additional space, every square metre matters.

• During conversion works, public transport services must not be disrupted. This means that construction is either carried out in multiple phases or that operations are temporarily moved to another location. In the case of new depots, such as Mortsel, this is not an issue.

• An electrified depot consists of several components:

  • One or more medium-voltage cabins (depending on the required charging capacity)

  • Converters that adjust the electricity from the cabins to what the e-buses can handle

  • Charging stations

  • Implementation of software to automate depot and charging management

• For each project, an environmental permit must be obtained. This can sometimes cause significant delays, as local residents may file objections. For example, more than 20 years after purchasing the land for the Wissenhage depot in Ghent, we have still not been able to start construction. Yet Wissenhage is crucial for the greening of public transport in the Ghent region.