Autolinee Toscane, the RATP Group subsidiary responsible for public transport in Tuscany, has introduced the first 25 of 70 BYD electric buses into service in Florence as part of a broader strategy to fully electrify its bus fleet by mid-2026.
The newly deployed buses are BYD K9UD models, each 12 metres long with three doors and the capacity to carry up to 85 passengers. Equipped with BYD’s proprietary LFP batteries rated at 422 kWh, the buses offer a range of approximately 260 kilometres on a single charge, according to the operator.
“This project is part of our policy to encourage a different way of moving around and living [in] the city, and to reduce polluting emissions,” said Andrea Giorgio, Councillor for Transport of the City of Florence. “Today, we are delivering to the people of Florence the first batch of 25 more comfortable, quieter, more efficient and more modern vehicles.”
The company has also completed electrification works at its Peretola depot to support the incoming fleet, installing a 1.72-megawatt charging system. Details on the number of individual charging points were not disclosed. A second charging hub is under construction in Olmatello to accommodate the next phase of deployment.
Autolinee Toscane currently operates 47 electric buses, including Tecnobus Gulliver minibuses and Karsan e-Jest models. The new BYD units will primarily serve routes 6, 20, and 23. In addition to the remaining 45 BYD buses still to be delivered, the transport operator will integrate eight electric buses from Italian manufacturer Iveco into the fleet, bringing the total number of e-buses to 100 by 2026.