Electric bus manufacturer Irizar e-mobility is continously strengthening its foodprint in Greater Madrid area:
After an e-bus supplied for test purposes already in 2016, the first 15 series vehicles started passenger service at the turn of 2017/18. Another 20 followed in 2020, and an additonal 20 vehicles of the current, modified version of the “ie bus” model have been operating on the streets of the capital city since November 2021, among others on Line 5. 30 more such e-buses were ordered in September 2021.
Upon completion of these supplies, municipal bus company Empresa Municipal de Transporte (EMT) will have 85 Irizar electric buses operating. The EMT thus becomes the operator with the largest Irizar e-mobility fleet for the time being. Some of the e-buses are running in a distinctive livery on line 001 in the inner city, which can be used by the passengers free of charge.
In Alcorcón, located in the southern suburbs of Madrid, an Irizar “ie tram” model was in public service during November and December 2021; “ie tram” is the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) version with a number of special design features. The operator of urban transport in Alcorcón is the DB subsidiary ARRIVA. In December, the same vehicle was in test operation in neighbouring Leganes, also in the south of the capital region, with the operator Empresa Martin / Grupo Ruiz. We reported about Irizar e-mobility’s activities here:
https://www.urban-transport-magazine.com/en/the-all-in-approach-irizar-e-mobility/
Large investments
The electrification of all bus lines is part of the Madrid region’s “Plan Cero Emisiones”, various operators are therefore currently testing electric bus versions from different manufacturers. Madrid Lord Mayor Martínez Almeida has just announced investments in the EMT and its facilities of €1.0 billion over the five-years-period 2021-2025, of which €534.7 million alone is for the purchase of environmentally friendly buses. A tender for 56 additional electric buses (including 6 minibuses) is currently underway. EMT had already announced some time ago that it would replace all diesel buses in its 2,100-car fleet with gas or electric buses by the end of 2022:
https://www.urban-transport-magazine.com/en/no-more-diesel-buses-in-madrid-by-the-end-of-2022/ .
