Scania will deliver ten electric buses in Östersund (Sweden) between 2021 and 2022

The rollout of Scania electric buses is set to increase in Sweden together with the operator Vy Buss. The operator, in fact, ordered ten new Scania Citywide LF Electric. The vehicles will operate in Östersund city, which has set a long-term plan for the transition to full electric transport. In the same city, with a population of 64,000 in mid Sweden, Scania e-buses are running on a pilot since 2017: it’s the only Scania electric bus deployment so far. The Citywide electric range has been updated and unveiled at Busworld 2019.

Vy Buss expects to have 150 electric buses in operation by summer 2021. A 22-vehicles order was placed with Volvo Buses.

All Scania electric buses to be delivered by summer 2022

Norwegian publicly-owned Vy Group is one of the largest transport operators in the Nordic countries. Together with Scania, as mentioned, Vy has operated one electrified bus line in Östersund as a field test. Seven of the buses will be in traffic from July 2021 and the remaining three in summer 2022. One-third of all city bus operations in Östersund will then be electrified. Other city bus lines are operated on renewable biofuels.

Passenger surveys carried out by the city show that 78 percent are highly satisfied with their electric bus journeys and 66 percent rate travelling with electric buses as better or much better than trips with conventional buses, Scania points out in a press release.

Scania electric buses in cold weather

“We were early in establishing a charging infrastructure for electric cars and are now continuing with electric buses,” says Anne Sörensson, Green Traffic Project Manager at the City of Östersund. “We view this as essential in our aim to become fossil-free and energy efficient by 2030.”