Minibuses have remained for many years on the sidelines of the evolution carried out by the sector towards electric models. While large articulated vehicles launched fast charging systems, the small neighborhood buses continued to emit black smoke on the slopes. Manufacturers have seen that there is also a market there and something is finally beginning to move, as was confirmed at the summit organized by the International Union of Public Transport (UITP) in Barcelona.
The first 100% electric minibus to be seen on the streets of the Catalan capital will circulate in test mode for three months on different neighborhood bus lines. The vehicle that will be used will be from Indcar, a leading minibus bodywork company from Arbúcies that has reached an agreement with the electric vehicle manufacturer Bluebus to distribute this new model in Spain.
Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) will be the first operator to test the vehicle, with a range of 250 kilometers and specially designed for short journeys. In the coming weeks it will be subjected to peculiarities of the Catalan capital such as the steep slopes of some of the areas where the closest service is provided. In addition, the tests will be carried out in the middle of summer to push the autonomy of the batteries to the limit when the air conditioning works at maximum performance.
For the user, this new type of bus represents a leap forward in accessibility, a fundamental issue for some lines that have a high number of users with mobility problems. Although it may be misleading, with only six meters in size, the model to be tested has capacity for 35 passengers.
Based on the results, those responsible for TMB will consider starting to incorporate electric minibuses into a fleet that, if the investment plans are met, will have 25% of zero emission vehicles next year and 50% in 2030 .
