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Bus service in Swedish town of Värnamo goes electric

Posted: 16 January 2017 | Katie Sadler, Intelligent Transport | No comments yet

The city of Värnamo in southern Sweden has placed an order for four Volvo 7900 Electric Hybrid buses in order to create a sustainable public transport system.

Bus service in Swedish town of Värnamo goes electric

Credit: Volvo Buses

The city of Värnamo in southern Sweden has placed an order for four Volvo 7900 Electric Hybrid buses in order to create a sustainable public transport system.

Bus service in Swedish town of Värnamo goes electric

Credit: Volvo Buses

Volvo Buses has announced it has received an order for four Volvo 7900 Electric Hybrid buses from the city of Värnamo. The move will allow the city to provide an all-electric bus service from autumn 2017.

With the city’s aim to quadruple the number of journeys by public transport over a three-year period, the new buses will operate more frequently and provide greater accessibility. This will be further enhanced with the construction of a new bus lane. Furthermore, the electric hybrid buses will create less noise and improve air quality.

Värnamo to provide all-electric bus service from autumn 2017

Commenting on the order, Martin Spjern, Key Account Manager Nordic at Volvo Buses, said: “It’s impressive and really gratifying that Värnamo has now decided to lead the way and create a sustainable public transport system based on our hybrid buses. Electrically powered buses are the future for both large cities and small towns.”

“With this move we are taking yet another step in the construction of tomorrow’s attractive city, with our sights firmly set on developing as a human-centric growth municipality with a population of 40,000 by 2035,” added Behnam Sharo, Värnamo city architect.

Rune Backlund, region politician said: “We are very pleased about the investment, it shows the possibilities to be at the forefront when it comes to new technology, even though you are situated outside Sweden’s three largest cities.”

The Volvo 7900 Electric Hybrid operates on electricity without any exhaust gases for about 70 percent of its route. Charging the batteries at the charging station takes three to four minutes with the help of a system known as opportunity charging. Compared with a corresponding diesel-powered bus, the electric hybrid uses about 60 percent less energy. The buses operating in Värnamo will run on renewable electricity and renewable HVO fuel, cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 90 per cent.

The buses on order including the ABB charging station will be delivered as a turnkey solution with Volvo providing maintenance for the buses and their batteries.

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