Brussels welcomes 50 new Mercedes electric buses

A total of 50 Mercedes-Benz eCitaro battery-electric buses of varying lengths are set to enter service in Brussels this year. The first of these vehicles has already been carrying passengers since the end of January, while the remaining standard buses will be deployed across the network by the end of March, according to the Brussels transport operator. All will operate on routes 47, 56, 58, and 83 and charge exclusively at the depot. The articulated buses, which will arrive later, will eventually serve routes 46, 53, 87, and 89 and ‘use the charging infrastructure in Pannenhuis and Westland-Moortebeek around the clock’, as MIVB/STIB stated.

With the addition of these electric buses, the transport operator’s fleet will grow to around 140 zero-emission vehicles. Prior to the latest Mercedes bus delivery, MIVB/STIB operated 93 battery-electric buses, 400 hybrid buses, and 357 diesel buses, according to its own figures. The older electric models from Bluebus and Solaris are now primarily used on routes 13, 37, and 64. “Since the beginning of the bus fleet’s electrification, the buses have already covered over 8 million kilometres,” the operator emphasised. This corresponds to a reduction of more than 9,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, taking into account a CO2 emission factor for electricity that is representative of Belgium.

The eCitaros being introduced this year are part of a large order placed in 2023. At that time, Brussels ordered 100 units, including 70 articulated buses and 36 standard buses. Fifty-six of these articulated buses are already in service. The remaining 36 solo buses and 14 articulated buses are the units discussed in this article. The operator has already announced plans to purchase around 300 additional electric buses in the coming years, which will replace the majority of the 357 diesel buses still in operation. By the end of 2035, MIVB/STIB aims to operate an entirely electric bus fleet.

“With these new electric buses, we are taking the next step towards modernising our public transport,” said Elke Van den Brandt, Mobility Minister of the Brussels-Capital Region. “We are consciously investing in liveable neighbourhoods: these buses are quieter and emit no harmful exhaust fumes. They offer greater comfort, not only for passengers but also for residents along the routes.”

However, electrification poses a major challenge for the transport company: “It’s not just about purchasing new vehicles,” emphasised CEO Brieuc de Meeûs, “but also about training staff to handle the new technology and making significant investments in infrastructure, such as charging stations at some terminals and a completely new depot with state-of-the-art charging infrastructure in Neder-Over-Heembeek.”

mivb.prezly.com (in Dutch), en.stibstories.be