Public transport authority Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe (KVB) has ordered 78 electric Irizar buses from Jebsen & Jessen e-Mobility.
The order includes 38 articulated buses and 40 solo buses and represents KVB’s largest purchase within the bus sector to date.
The first set of vehicles is scheduled to be delivered in October 2026 and join KVB’s current fleet of 118 VDL electric buses, rendering nearly two-thirds of the operator’s fleet electric.
Each of the new articulated buses measures in at 18.2 metres in length, whilst the solo buses measure in at 12.16 metres. Each bus is 2.55 metres wide and 3.4 metres high, and is capable of carrying up to 110 passengers (43 seated).
The buses are barrier-free and offer space for wheelchairs, strollers and walkers.
All vehicles can be charged both at the operator’s depots (as depot chargers) and at terminal stops along a number of lines (as opportunity chargers), with a charging capacity via pantograph of approximately 350 kilowatts (kW) for the articulated buses and roughly 290 kW for the solo buses.
The articulated buses feature a range of between 180 to 230 kilometres, whilst the solo buses have a range between 200 and 250 kilometres.
The vehicles’ electric motor has been supplied by European manufacturer Cummins, with the vehicles themselves manufactured by Irizar e-mobility in Aduna, Spain.
Purchase of the vehicles was made possible via funding provided by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a state grant provided under Section 13 of the NRW Public Transport Act as an investment measure in the state’s special interest. The funding will cover 60% of the additional costs of an electric bus when compared to a traditional diesel vehicle.
