Belgium Orders 64 Hybrid Volvo Buses for Public Transport

Volvo Buses has received another major order for electrified buses from Belgian transport operator OTW. The order for 64 buses is the largest order for Volvo's latest self-charging hybrid electric bus, the Volvo 7900 S-Charge. The buses will be delivered during the second half of 2021 for use in transport services in the regions of Liège, Charleroi, Brabant Wallon and Namur – Luxembourg.

“Belgium has yet again proved to be a forerunner in electrified public transport solutions, and we at Volvo Buses are very pleased to be a partner in enabling Belgium's ambitions to create an attractive, sustainable and efficient public transport service,” says Anna Westerberg, President of Volvo Buses.

The order for the 64 Volvo 7900 S-Charge is part of a larger framework agreement with OTW, including Volvo Buses and other partners. OTW plans to add a total of 430 12m hybrid buses to its vehicle fleet over the coming four years. Volvo Buses has as recently as 2018 supplied approximately 100 electric hybrid buses to OTW.

“The Volvo 7900 S-Charge meets our technical and commercial requirements perfectly. The total cost of ownership (TCO) and the delivery time made the difference for us compared to competitors,” says Mr. Vincent Peremans, administrateur Général de OTW.

The Volvo 7900 S-Charge, launched in 2020, requires no charging infrastructure as the bus's energy recovery system is used to charge the batteries during operation. The bus can run on electric energy alone for distances up to one kilometre and at speeds up to 50 km/h. This leads to significant fuel savings and allows emissions and noise to be eliminated, for instance at bus stops and in urban low-emission zones.

“The Volvo 7900 S-Charge is one of our cleanest buses, generating up to 40% lower CO2 emissions than a comparable diesel bus. With the support of Volvo's geofencing system, Volvo Zone Management, the vehicle can be programmed to drive in electric mode in certain pre-defined areas such as low-emission zones,” says Eric De Roy at Volvo Buses Belgium.

The Volvo 7900 S-Charge buses for this order to OTW will be manufactured at Volvo Buses' production facility in Wroclaw, Poland and will be ready for delivery in late 2021.

About Volvo Buses

Volvo Buses is one of the world’s leading brands of buses and coaches, operating in more than 85 countries. We are driven by a passion to help create the cities of the future, free from congestion, emissions and noise. Our mission is to help operators and communities offer people safe, clean and efficient transportation to and from work, around the city or across the continent. We do so by striving to be the ultimate provider of sustainable transport solutions.