The Prague Public Transport Company (DPP) will purchase 140 articulated hybrid buses from Iveco Group for approximately CZK 1.55 billion. According to DPP spokesperson Aneta Řehková, the company signed a framework agreement with the winning bidder, which means that it will not have to buy all of the vehicles, but only a portion of them if needed. The first buses will appear in the city next year.
The hybrid buses are 18 meters long, weigh 28,000 kilograms, and have a top speed of 99 kilometers per hour. The vehicles have three axles and four double-leaf doors, are low-floor, and can accommodate 130 passengers, of which 35 seats are available.
In addition to a combustion engine, the buses are equipped with an automatic gearbox with an electric motor that serves as an energy generator and helps accelerate or recover energy during braking. The buses are also equipped with rechargeable batteries.
According to DPP CEO Petr Witowski, “On the one hand, they are low-emission vehicles, and on the other hand, in the event of a blackout or any unexpected situation in the electrical grid, we will be able to put them into operation without significant restrictions and thus provide basic transport services. Thanks to these buses, we will be able to maintain a certain degree of independence from charging infrastructure in the future and diversify potential risks.”
The company has been testing and purchasing vehicles with alternative propulsion for a long time. For example, in mid-January of this year, it launched the operation of an electric bus that departed from the Želivského stop on line 213.
In early January, construction of a trolleybus route from Palmovka via Prosek and Letňany to Čakovice began. The construction is expected to last about ten months. After the new way is completed, trolleybus line no. 58 will replace bus line 140. The company is also testing a hydrogen-powered bus.
The purchase of these hybrid buses is part of the DPP’s efforts to improve air quality in Prague by reducing emissions from public transport vehicles. The company plans to gradually replace its current fleet of buses with new and more environmentally friendly cars.