First of 70 new electric buses for Brussels enters service

Brussels public transport operator Stib has put the first of 70 new fully electric buses on to the streets of the capital, with the rest to roll out between now and 2026.

A batch of 56 eCitaro buses for the Stib network will enter service this year, with these replacing the last Euro 5 diesel buses still in circulation before 1 January 2025 in order to comply with low emissions zone (LEZ) regulations.

“Converting all our buses to a zero-emission fleet is our goal for the coming years,” said Stib chief executive Brieuc de Meeûs.

“A second order for 36 standard electric buses has also already been placed. This is a huge step forward for the Stib and for Brussels, for an ever more sustainable bus fleet, for ever greater comfort for our customers and for contributing to a city that breathes.”

The buses also mark an expansion of the total Stib fleet’s passenger capacity. Ordered in 2023, the new-generation vehicles are part of the process of fully electrifying the city's bus fleet by 2035.

Stib already has 37 fully electric buses: 25 articulated full electric buses recharged in depots and at fixed recharging points at the terminus of certain lines, five standard full electric buses and seven midibuses.

The 70 eCitaros are the "opportunity charging" type, meaning their batteries have to be recharged at night. Major efforts are under way to adapt depots to meet this need.

While the Haren and Jacques Brel depots are already partially electrified and already house electric vehicles, the Marly depot at Neder-Over-Heembeek will be the first Stib depot to house only 100% electric buses.

The eCitaro has a range of 200 kilometres, which Stib notes is sufficient for a full day's service and comes from manufacturer Mercedes-Benz, costing €820,000.

Their entry into service will bring the number of 100% electric buses in service on the Stib network to 107.

The new electric buses will operate on the following routes: 46 Moortebeek to Pannenhuis, 53 Westland Shopping to Hôpital Militaire, 87 Simonis to Beekkant and 89 Westland-Shopping to Gare Centrale.

As to whether hydrogen-powered buses will also be added to the fleet in the future, a Stib spokesperson told RTBF that this is not a current project: “Tests have been carried out, but they do not correspond to our needs in terms of technology, recharging capacity, etc.”

Similar efforts to electrify bus fleets for TEC and De Lijn are underway in Wallonia and Flanders, respectively.