Spanish public transport operator EMT Palma has presented 23 battery-electric buses supplied by BYD and Spanish bodybuilder Castrosua as part of a broader fleet renewal programme aimed at expanding zero-emission public transport services in Palma.
The new 12-metre buses are based on the BYD Castrosua Nelec model, which combines BYD chassis technology with bodywork developed by Castrosua under a partnership agreement announced in 2022.
The vehicles were officially presented on May 21 by Jaime Martínez Llabrés, mayor of Palma, alongside local and regional transport officials.
EMT Palma said the buses are being progressively introduced into service across multiple urban routes.
The operator’s framework agreement foresees the acquisition of up to 113 electric buses with a planned investment exceeding 98 million euros. An additional 34 electric buses supplied by Mercedes-Benz are also expected to begin arriving from June.
According to the municipality, the 23 BYD-Castrosua buses were supplied by BYD Motores Iberia at a unit cost of approximately 573,000 euros.
Nine vehicles are already prepared for passenger service following registration procedures and installation of onboard operational systems.
Initially, the buses will operate on routes 1, 6, 10, 14, 16, 20, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 39 and 40, although EMT Palma said route assignments may change as additional electric vehicles enter the fleet.
The procurement programme is financed through the Balearic Islands Energy Transition Investment Plan (PITEIB), the European Union’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan-NextGenerationEU, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the sustainable tourism tax, the City of Palma and EMT Palma’s own funding sources.
According to municipal data, more than 36% of EMT Palma’s current bus fleet is more than 15 years old.
Alongside fleet renewal, EMT Palma is also expanding charging infrastructure at its depots. The company has awarded a contract worth 4.5 million euros for the installation of 40 additional charging points at existing facilities, with construction scheduled to begin before the end of May.
EMT Palma currently operates 12 charging points, with another 10 expected to enter service next month.
The operator is also developing a new ECO-EMT operations centre, currently in the design phase, which is expected to include 108 charging points, dedicated maintenance facilities, photovoltaic systems, pantograph charging infrastructure, office space and upgraded employee facilities.
The planned investment for the new operations centre is estimated at nearly 32 million euros.
EMT Palma currently operates from the La Tàpia depot and the Son Rossinyol facility as it gradually integrates additional electric buses into service.
