The Swiss city of Basel has announced plans to replace its fleet of 110 buses with electric models from the Netherlands. The aim is to run its entire bus network using environmentally clean vehicles by 2027.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch
The decision to phase out diesel buses had been taken in 2015, but on Thursday the city unveiled its vehicle of choice, which had successfully completed a test phase. The CHF255 million ($255 million) order will be voted on by the local parliament next year.
Passengers gave electric buses positive reviews during a trial last autumn, prompting the authorities to move into stage two of the transport scheme – a one-year pilot of articulated buses weighing 22 tonnes and measuring more than 18 metres in length.
The Citea SLFA-181 buses from the Dutch manufacturer VDL feature three-ton battery modules that give the vehicles a range of between 80 and 130 kilometres, depending on weather conditions. The battery takes 38 minutes to recharge.
Each bus is capable of carrying 40 seated passengers and 77 standing.
Basel is not the first city to introduce environmentally-friendly public transport systems. Geneva introduced 20 TOSA electric buses, manufactured by Swiss-Swedish company ABB, last year.
Popular Stories
More
Multinational companies
Azeri fossil-fuel cash cow brings controversy to Switzerland
This content was published on
Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled. Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled. Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled.
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.