Public transport operator ZET in Zagreb plans to replace its entire bus fleet with 500 electric buses within the next ten years, as the Croatian capital moves to fully electrify its urban transit network. The initiative was announced by Mayor Tomislav Tomašević during the launch of two new MAN electric buses now operating on city routes.
“Zagreb is the first city in Croatia to operate large electric buses in public transport,” Tomašević said. “Our goal is to purchase 500 electric buses over the next ten years and fully electrify the ZET bus fleet.”
See also: Croatia To Invest €21 Million In Electric Bus Charging Infrastructure In Zagreb
ZET began electrifying its operations earlier this year, commissioning its first Iveco Crossway LE Elec in April and launching plans to procure 70 additional electric buses—including 33 solo, 29 articulated, and eight midi models—worth around €50 million, co-funded by the European Union in partnership with Croatia’s Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure. Although the tender has been completed, ZET has yet to reveal the winning manufacturers.
This week, ZET added two MAN Lion’s City 12E electric buses to its fleet. The 12-metre low-floor models, equipped with a 160 kW electric motor and 480 kWh lithium-ion battery, can carry 71 passengers and achieve a range of up to 330 km. Two more units of the same model are expected to follow.
See also: Croatia Allocates €21.2 Million In Subsidies For Commercial Zero-Emission Vehicle Purchases
“After launching the first electric bus in April and the second in June, I am pleased to present two more new low-floor electric buses in our fleet today,” said ZET CEO Marko Bogdanović.
Alongside the bus acquisitions, ZET is developing its own charging infrastructure, with 124 charging points being installed at the company’s Podsused depot. The €27.4 million project is partly financed by €21 million in EU funds under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NPOO).