Italian bus manufacturer Iveco Bus has won a significant tender in Germany to supply 580 buses to the German BusGruppe, marking its largest electric bus order in the country to date. The deal includes 250 electric buses and underscores the company’s growing presence in sustainable public transport.
Under the five-year framework agreement, Iveco will deliver 200 Crossway LE Elec buses and 50 articulated E-Way electric buses. The exact configurations of these models remain unclear, as the Crossway LE Elec, for instance, is offered in a 12-meter city bus version and a 13-meter intercity variant with battery capacities of 416 or 485 kWh. The total contract value is estimated at up to €235 million, making it the “largest electric bus tender ever won by Iveco Bus in the German market,” according to the manufacturer.
“Our winning proposal of products and services has allowed us to expand our market reach with unprecedented success,” said Domenico Nucera, President of the Bus Business Unit at Iveco Group. “This latest tender cements 2024 as an absolute record year for Iveco Bus, demonstrating our ability to meet the diverse needs of our customers and provide efficient and customizable solutions.”
The German BusGruppe, a consortium of six transportation operators in Lower Saxony, awarded the tender as part of its commitment to modernizing its fleet and advancing electromobility. Participating companies include Verkehrsbetriebe Bachstein, CeBus, KVG Stade, Omnibusbetrieb von Ahrentschildt, Pülm Reisen, and Reisebüro Schmidt.
Jan Behrendt, Managing Director of Verkehrsbetriebe Bachstein, highlighted the strategic importance of the deal: “The continuous modernization of the fleet and now the entry into electromobility put us in a position to continue developing in a mobility market characterized by increasing competition.”
Details regarding the timeline for delivery and deployment of the electric buses have not yet been disclosed. However, the order positions Iveco Bus as a key player in Germany’s transition to sustainable public transport.
