Prague Public Transit Company (DPP) has begun deploying battery-electric buses in regular passenger service for the first time, introducing the SOR ENS 12 model supplied by Czech manufacturer SOR Libchavy as part of a broader fleet modernisation programme.
The initial batch of 18 electric buses features an electric drivetrain from Škoda Electric and forms part of a framework agreement covering up to 100 vehicles to be delivered by 2028. DPP said the first four buses have already entered service from the Vršovice depot, operating on route 213, with the remaining vehicles to be phased in over the coming weeks.
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“They will primarily operate on routes 154, 159, 185, and 213, as well as occasionally on routes 126, 133, 173, and 175,” DPP said in a statement outlining the deployment plan.
The SOR ENS 12 is a low-floor battery-electric bus that has been part of SOR Libchavy’s portfolio since 2019. For Prague’s order, however, the model was adapted to integrate Škoda Electric’s drivetrain, delivering 160 kW of power and up to 308 kWh of NMC battery capacity. This configuration provides a range of about 100 kilometres. The vehicles were tested in Pilsen during the summer before being transferred to Prague for entry into service.
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The buses are equipped with both plug-in charging capability and the option to draw power from overhead lines while stationary, reflecting Prague’s extensive trolleybus infrastructure. Media reports have suggested that, beneath the SOR bodywork, the vehicles closely resemble Škoda’s E’City electric bus, though it remains unclear whether other transport operators have expressed interest in the variant.
The 18 electric buses are distributed across three depots, with 12 based in Vršovice, four in Klíčov and two in Hostivař. They will gradually replace some of the oldest diesel buses in DPP’s fleet as part of a wider transition toward lower-emission public transport.
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Looking ahead, DPP said it has ordered 118 additional vehicles for delivery in 2026, including 14 more SOR ENS 12 electric buses, 30 Bozankaya SNG 12T trolleybuses and 30 Iveco Urbanway Hybrid 18M articulated hybrid buses, alongside a smaller number of new diesel vehicles.
