Barcelona adds first 100% electric minibus to its local bus service

Barcelona - Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) officially put its first 100% electric minibus into the Barcelona neighborhood bus service Monday.

The new minibus, almost seven meters long, runs on line 185, which connects the Canyelles metro station with Vall d'Hebron. 

Over the coming weeks, TMB plans to incorporate four more electric vehicles into other neighborhood bus lines, depending on operational needs.

In statements to the media, the president of TMB, Laia Bonet, highlighted that the incorporation of the first electric minibus represents "a very important step" in a network that she considers particularly relevant for the local mobility of the city's neighborhoods.

The new vehicles will progressively replace current neighborhood minibuses as they reach the end of their functionality. Bonet highlighted that the commitment to these five vehicles comes from a desire to gain "reliability" while advancing sustainability with zero-emission vehicles.

The new bus has a range of up to 14 hours, enough to complete a day of service without having to recharge during the day. According to Bonet, this autonomy was one of the necessary conditions to incorporate this technology into the neighborhood bus service.

The vehicle, from the Chinese brand Yutong, is 6.97 meters long, features 10 seats, and can transport up to 26 people. It has a low-floor configuration and incorporates a ramp, allowing for accessibility similar to those of TMB's standard and articulated buses.

Bonet explained that these new electric vehicles "are not suitable for local bus lines," as they require "the streets to have a certain width to be able to make turns, which is not the case with current local bus lines." 

Looking ahead to 2027, TMB plans to incorporate 31 new vehicles into the local bus service.