International operator Keolis has been awarded a ten-year contract, worth €150 million, by Västraffik, Gothenburg’s Public Transport Authority (PTA), to operate and maintain articulated fully electric buses. The contract is scheduled to begin in June 2022. It includes replacing the city’s biodiesel and biogas-powered buses with fully electric ones and adapting three depots so they can maintain and charge the electric vehicles. This is part of Västraffik’s goal of converting its city bus fleet into electric buses by 2030. The awarding of the contract reflects Västraffik’s confidence in Keolis as a partner in converting its buses into electric ones across the region in order to provide reliable, clean and comfortable mobility solutions to Gothenburg’s residents and visitors.
Commenting on the contract, Bernard Tabary, CEO International of Keolis Groupsaid: “We are honoured that Västraffik, with whom we have been partners since 2010, has entrusted us with operating and maintaining the 100% e-bus network in Gothenburg. We look forward to supporting our public transport authority partner in rolling out electric buses and making the necessary changes to the infrastructure that will improve the daily life of Gothenburg’s residents. Keolis’ expertise in electromobility will doubtless be a key factor in the success of this project.”
Gothenburg and its metropolitan area are home to 1.5 million residents. Located in the south-western part of the country, it is Sweden’s second largest city. This contract is part of Västraffik’s strategic goal of converting its city bus fleet into electric buses by 2030. 17 million passengers per year carried on sustainable and quiet buses. The network features two lines and will carry 17 million passengers per year. The articulated electric buses are expected to cover 2.9 million kilometres annually. 2
The e-buses can be charged at the three depots across the network2, all of which will be adapted and equipped with overnight charging facilities. To deploy e-buses and adapt the infrastructure, Keolis can count on the best practices developed and lessons learnt in deploying alternative energy fleets in France, Norway, the Netherlands and the US. With these 100% electric buses, Keolis is committed to enhancing the passenger experience, providing a quieter and more sustainable transport solution, while preserving the environment.
Keolis Sverige has been present in Sweden since 2003 and operates 1,600 fossil-free buses in four Swedish regions, covering 100 million kilometres every year. On behalf of Västraffik, Keolis operates three other bus networks, all running on alternative energies and, by the end of the year, will operate a fourth network linking Gothenburg to Borås. Since January 2021, Keolis has also been testing a Navya-built autonomous electric shuttle service in Gothenburg’s Lindholmen Industrial and Science park. In 2020, Keolis teamed up with partners3 in Stockholm to remotely control and supervise autonomous electric vehicles using 5G technology. Keolis has over 4,500 employees in Sweden. The Keolis Group operates a total of about 4,000 alternative energy vehicles worldwide, which is about 20% of its bus fleet. While discussions are ongoing with manufacturers, no decision on what brand of bus will be used has been decided yet.
Key figures of the Contract Gotenberg
– 10-year contract, worth €150ml
– 2 Routes in the north-east of the city
– 17 million passengers per year
– 2.9 million kilometres annually
– 3 depots
