Scania trials battery electric buses

Scania has announced that it will soon start its first field
tests of battery electric buses in the Swedish city of Östersund. Three Scania
Citywide LF buses will be in operation from the end of  this year with an additional
three buses added in early 2019.

"Östersund, with its seasonal climate of cold winters and
moderately warm summers, is the ideal location for testing performance in
actual operations," said Anna Carmo e Silva, Head of Scania Buses and Coaches. "The trials constitute the initial stage in the ongoing development of battery
electric buses."

Scania currently offers a wide range of buses and coaches
for alternative fuels, including biogas, bioethanol, biodiesel and hybrid
electric buses. "By adding battery electric buses, we will further strengthen
our focus on sustainable transport and complement this broad range with buses
particularly for inner-city operations," adds Carmo e Silva.

Two new charging stations will be built in Östersund to
supply the six buses at both ends of the 14-kilometre major bus line. With
10-minute charging, buses will run every 15 minutes for a total of 100 journeys
each day.

"The introduction of battery electric buses here is really
exciting," said Project Manager Anne Sörensson of the City of Östersund. "They
will contribute to our aim of achieving fossil-free transport by 2030."

The trials will be carried out in collaboration with public
authorities, including the City of Östersund and Region Jämtland Härjedalen’s
Public Transport Authority, and the publically-owned energy supplier Jämtkraft.
The buses will be operated by Nettbuss, a subsidiary of the Norwegian State
Railways, NSB, which is the second largest bus operator in the Nordic
countries.