A consortium comprised of SOR Libchavy and Škoda Group has secured a contract to deliver up to 30 articulated 18-metre electric buses to the Košice Public Transport Company in Slovakia.
The contract, valued at 610 million CZK (24.3 million EUR), includes an initial delivery of 11 buses, with an option for an additional 19 vehicles.
The first buses are expected to arrive between late 2025 and early 2026, positioning Košice as a frontrunner in the electrification of public transport in Slovakia.
Filip Murgaš, Managing Director and Sales Director of SOR Libchavy said:This project will provide the citizens of Košice with a modern and comfortable form of public transport and will contribute to the city's ambition to become a leader in the electrification of public transport in Slovakia. We believe that our electric buses will make a significant contribution to the sustainable development of urban mobility.
The buses will be fully low-floor and equipped with the latest permanent magnet traction motors to ensure high efficiency and low energy consumption.
The vehicles also incorporate traction converters based on silicon carbide (SiC) technology, contributing to operational savings and long-term durability.
What’s more, the electric buses will feature a unique charging system. allowing them to recharge during the day via collectors connected to the existing overhead system for trams and trolleybuses in Košice.
Radek Svoboda, Managing Director of Škoda Electric at Škoda Group said:This charging system greatly increases the flexibility and operational efficiency of the fleet. The vehicles are modern not only in terms of interior comfort and excellent driving characteristics but also in terms of the electric technology that is at the heart of the new electric buses.
The buses will offer passengers a high level of comfort, with amenities such as air conditioning, modern information boards, automatic passenger counting systems, and Wi-Fi.
Safety features will include internal camera systems, a reversing camera, and a pantograph camera.
