BYD, the world’s leading manufacturer of electric vehicles, has been awarded a substantial electric bus order from Volánbusz Zrt, Hungary’s largest public transport operator.
The 48 units of 12-metre BYD low-entry eBuses are scheduled for delivery to Volánbusz later this year and represents the Hungarian PTO’s largest BYD eBus order to date. The pure-electric zero-emission buses will operate in five Hungarian cities: Győr, Zalaegerszeg, Szolnok, Szeged and Eger.
Volánbusz Zrt has previously taken delivery of two 12-metre eBuses, one of which was delivered to the Municipality of Salgótarján in 2018 and the other, to the city of Komárom in 2021, where it introduced cross-border pure-electric bus services across the Danube River to neighbouring Komárno in Slovakia, for the first time.
With over 6200 vehicles in its fleet, Volánbusz Zrt is the largest PTO in Hungary. Following this most recent multi-unit order placed with BYD in April, Volánbusz is now poised to significantly enhance its eco-friendly BYD electric bus fleet. Volánbusz launched its vehicle rejuvenation program in 2018, and has already replaced over 860 units with new vehicles. In line with this, is a strategy to replace 40% of its total bus fleet by the end of 2022, which includes further plans to invest in electric buses and charging infrastructure.
Significantly, all 48 electric buses on order will be built locally in BYD’s European manufacturing facility in Komárom, Hungary. While playing a major part in achieving environmental goals and zero-emission travel in the country, the order also benefits local people, through employment opportunities. BYD Electric Bus & Truck Hungary Kft is BYD’s first factory in Europe, supporting the ethos of ‘built in Europe, for Europe’. In 2021, the factory increased production capacity, accelerating annual output of a single shift to 400 electric buses.
The eBuses on order feature new generation BYD Iron-Phosphate Battery technology which has been developed through BYD’s world-leading expertise and pioneering innovation in batteries. Designed for optimised battery life, safety and reliability, the 343kWh battery capacity delivers a 300 km driving range on a single charge which also makes BYD eBuses a practical and efficient solution for city routes. In addition, the eBuses benefit from BYD’s Battery Thermal Management System with proven reliability in extreme weather conditions.
BYD eBuses also offer benefits to passenger comfort and safety. An upgraded interior layout, including a redesign of the handrail arrangement, increases passenger capacity while ambient lighting, USB charger ports and soundproof floor coverings enhance the overall passenger experience.
The 12-metre eBus is BYD’s best-selling model in Europe with over 1000 units currently operating in Scandinavia, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Hungary. Demand for this popular eBus continues to grow across Europe.
BYD has a successful track record in the Hungarian eBus market, with over 70 pure-electric buses in service or on order in 10 cities including Salgótarján, Tatabanya, Komárom, Pecs and Miskolc. BYD eBuses in Hungary have covered over 800,000 km, reducing CO2 emissions by 870 tonnes.
