Author: Michael Turner

The Petit Forestier Group has secured a €150 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to accelerate the electrification of its refrigerated transport fleet across Europe. The France-based rental specialist plans to use the funding to acquire approximately 4,000 battery-electric refrigerated vehicles by 2029, primarily for deployment in France, Italy and Spain. The company said the additions would bring electric vehicles to about 5% of its fleet, which currently totals around 80,000 units. The financing aligns with the EIB’s strategy to support low-carbon transport and energy transition projects within the European Union. “This maiden EIB loan to Petit Forestier…

Spanish manufacturer Irizar has delivered ten battery-electric buses to Kaunas, Lithuania’s second-largest city, where they will soon enter service with local operator Kautra. The vehicles come from the latest generation of the company’s ie electric bus platform unveiled last autumn. The delivery makes Kaunas the second city in Lithuania to deploy Irizar electric buses, following earlier adoption in Klaipėda. The new buses are XXL variants of the Irizar ie bus, recently reintroduced as the ie bus Efficient at Busworld Europe 2025. See also: Arriva Orders Irizar Electric Buses for First Deployment in the Netherlands Irizar’s electric bus series has been…

Orion Energy Systems said it will install 104 direct-current fast-charging stations and associated infrastructure for the Boston Public Schools system, marking a major expansion of electric vehicle charging capacity for one of the largest school districts in the United States. The charging stations will be deployed at the Freeport Bus Yard in Boston, which will also serve as the operating base for the district’s electric school buses. The project will be delivered by Orion Energy Systems through its Voltrek charging division. See also: Dearborn Public Schools Adds 18 New Electric Buses to Boost Cleaner Student Transportation Boston Public Schools plans…

German technology company Kiepe Electric has sold its business unit for electric systems for trolleybuses to Swiss bus manufacturer Hess, as the company moves to focus fully on its core rail vehicle business. Kiepe Electric confirmed the transaction but did not disclose financial details. The sale marks the company’s exit from the trolleybus segment, which has included the supply of drives, traction inverters, battery systems and power supply components for so-called trackless trams or road trams. Going forward, Kiepe said it will concentrate entirely on electric systems and components for rail vehicles. Among the technologies developed by Kiepe for trolleybuses…

KWRL Transportation Cooperative has placed 14 electric school buses into service across four school districts in Washington state, marking one of the region’s larger coordinated deployments of zero-emission student transportation, project partners said. The buses, Thomas Built Jouley battery-electric models supplied through a regional dealer network, are now operating in the Kalama, Woodland, Ridgefield and La Center school districts. KWRL will manage the fleet from depots in Woodland and Ridgefield, where 16 Zerova 30-kilowatt chargers have been installed to support daily operations. See also: Zenobē Partners to Electrify Copiague School Bus Fleet in New York The electric buses are expected…

Public transport operator Arriva said it will deploy 167 new battery-electric buses in the Dutch region of East Brabant from December 2026, as part of a long-term concession extension aimed at expanding zero-emission public transport. The new fleet will include 39 electric buses from Spanish manufacturer Irizar and 128 from China’s Yutong, Arriva said, adding that all vehicles will be battery-electric. The buses will be introduced when a new 12.5-year public transport contract with the East Brabant region comes into effect in December 2026. Arriva’s Dutch unit earlier ordered 39 Irizar ie tram models, designed to resemble light-rail vehicles, to…

Sociedade de Transportes Colectivos do Porto (STCP) has ρ20 new battery-electric buses into service in the Greater Porto area, marking a further step in the operator’s transition toward zero-emission public transport. The vehicles were supplied by CaetanoBus, with which STCP has maintained a long-standing partnership spanning several decades. The latest delivery follows the introduction of 15 first-generation electric buses that have already been operating in the city for several years. See also: Maui Launches First Battery-Electric Buses on Core Transit Routes The newly deployed buses are the latest-generation e.City Gold model in the 12-metre configuration, offering capacity for up to…

Fleet electrification specialist Zenobē has partnered with The Trans Group and Educational Bus Transportation (EBT) to electrify the school bus fleet serving Copiague Public Schools on Long Island, New York. Under the project, 10 battery-electric school buses will be deployed to provide zero-emission transportation for around 4,500 K–12 students in the Copiague school district. The rollout is partially funded through the New York School Bus Incentive Program, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Zenobē will cover additional costs and manage charging infrastructure as part of a turnkey electrification service. See also: Zenobē Secures €325…

German logistics provider Kloiber has placed the first of 15 battery-electric trucks into operation for MAN Truck & Bus’s in-house logistics, marking another step in the truck maker’s effort to decarbonise its supply chains. The vehicles are 15 units of MAN’s battery-electric eTGX heavy-duty truck, which Kloiber will use for inbound logistics. The first trucks are now operating regularly between MAN’s plants in Nuremberg and Munich, covering a round-trip distance of about 328 kilometres. Among other goods, the electric trucks transport battery packs of the same type used in their own drivetrains. According to MAN, the eTGX trucks complete between…

The European vehicle fleet remains overwhelmingly powered by petrol and diesel, despite strong growth in electric car sales in recent years, according to new data published by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). In its latest Vehicles on European Roads report, based on 2024 data, ACEA said battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for just 2.3% of passenger cars in use across the European Union. Electric vans represented 1.3% of the fleet, while electric trucks made up 0.3% and electric buses 3.2%, the association said. See also: Stellantis Says Future Europe Investments Depend on EU Auto Rules Those figures are up modestly…

InspireNOLA Charter Schools has deployed 42 battery-electric school buses to serve students in and around New Orleans, replacing an equal number of diesel buses and shifting daily operations to zero-emission transport, the organisation said. The electric buses are operated by Louisiana-based A&S Transportation in partnership with Highland Electric Fleets. They run across 58 routes, covering more than 3,400 miles per day, providing transport for thousands of students while maintaining existing service levels. See also: New Jersey Awards Nearly $32 Million for Electric School Buses and Public Charging Projects According to InspireNOLA and its partners, the transition is expected to reduce…

Zurich Transport Services (VBZ) plans to launch a tender this month for the procurement of up to 100 battery-electric buses, a move that marks a departure from relying on options in existing supply contracts with Swiss manufacturer Hess and Germany’s MAN, Swiss media have reported. VBZ is expected to invest up to 140 million Swiss francs ($150 million) in the electric bus purchase, according to the reports. In parallel, the public transport operator will allow manufacturers to submit voluntary bids for up to 100 trolleybuses, a programme estimated to be worth an additional 160 million Swiss francs. The tender is…