EBS orders 73 electric buses from BYD for Zeeland

Dutch public transport operator EBS has ordered 73 electric buses from Chinese manufacturer BYD, which are expected to enter service in the province of Zeeland from December 2026. The first vehicles are scheduled to arrive as early as next summer.

Byd ebs e busse niederlande — Image: EBS

The order placed with BYD includes 64 battery-electric 12-meter buses and nine battery-electric 15-meter buses. While technical details of the vehicles have not yet been disclosed, both companies already have a strong working relationship: In September 2023, EBS deployed 43 BYD electric buses in the Haaglanden-Streek concession area.

Once added to the EBS fleet, the newly ordered buses will operate under the ‘Reizen door Zeeland’ label, which is how EBS will brand public transport services in the province of Zeeland. “This order marks an important step toward sustainable and clean public transport,” says Jan Kees Korteweg, COO of EBS. “BYD buses perfectly align with our commitment to offering passengers greater comfort, safety, and user-friendliness. Together, we ensure that the Zeeland bus fleet is not only emission-free but also optimally tailored to the needs of today’s travellers.”

EBS already operates more battery-electric buses than combustion-engine buses: “The majority of our fleet now consists of emission-free vehicles,” the company states. With over 500 vehicles in service across the concession areas of Haaglanden, IJssel-Vecht, Zaanstreek-Waterland, and Voorne-Putten & Rozenburg, Zeeland will be added in 2026. In 2023, EBS placed an order for 193 electric buses from VDL, marking the largest electric bus order in VDL’s history at the time.

ebs-ov.nl

This article was first published by Cora Werwitzke for electrive’s German edition.