Switzerland orders 15 Irizar electric buses & chargers

The Spanish electric bus manufacturer Irizar has provided details regarding an existing order from Schaffhausen, Switzerland. According to the manufacturer, the Spanish company has been awarded the contract to supply 15 Irizar ie tram electric buses and the associated charging infrastructure.

Seven of the tram-designed electric buses are 12-metre long models, while the remaining eight will be 18 metres long. According to the contract, there will also be twelve fast charging stations and 16 depot chargers. In addition, the contract includes an option for a second procurement phase between 2022 and 2027, during which orders could increase to a total of 47 electric buses and 20 fast chargers and 51 depot chargers.

A special feature is that the electricity for the 600 kW fast loaders will be generated by hydropower from the Rhine flowing through Schaffhausen. “This is a unique project in Switzerland and Europe,” says Hector Olabegogeaskoetxea, Managing Director of Irizar’s eMobility division. The Irizar Group thus demonstrates its ability to deliver (…) buses and charging stations that meet the specific requirements of cities.

As announced at the beginning of April, Irizar was awarded the contract following a public tender. At the same time, the Spaniards are also preparing to deliver ten ie bus electric buses to Düsseldorf, Germany. The customer there is the transit operator Rheinbahn.

In order to meet the increasing demand, Irizar opened an eMobility plant in the northern Spanish city of Aduna exactly one year ago. It has a maximum capacity of 1,000 electric vehicles per year. At the inauguration, Irizar said that they wanted to produce not only electric buses there, but also other electric commercial vehicles for cities. Against this background, the manufacturer presented an electric truck called Irizar ie truck at the beginning of March.

greencarcongress.com, irizar.com (PDF)