The Irizar ie tram is a fully electric bus designed by the Spanish manufacturer Irizar. It aims to combine the appearance and comfort of a tram with the flexibility of a bus.
This design arguably responds to public perceptions and preferences, which often view rail services as more desirable due to speed, reliability and capacity advantages over buses. However, as rail networks are considerably more expensive, disruptive and time-consuming to implement, operators may instead prioritise making bus services more appealing.
By designing its electric bus to look more like a tram, Irizar is contributing to this aim, providing a vehicle well-suited to Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes, which offer reliable, high-capacity services in dedicated lanes to mirror the reliability of rail.
Notably, this approach was also demonstrated by CRRC at InnoTrans 2024, where the manufacturer’s Autonomous Rapid Transit Vehicle 2.0 was presented on the track display, rather than as part of the bus display.
The Irizar ie tram has already been ordered and deployed in several European countries such as Belgium, France, and Spain. In addition, in 2023, Irizar also fulfilled its first order outside of Europe, supplying 32 Irizar ie tram electric buses in Mexico.
The 12-metre model currently on display at Euro Bus Expo in Birmingham has been manufactured for Kent County Council (KCC) and Go-Ahead to operate on the Fasttrack network in Kent Thameside, UK.
The Irizar ie tram can be ordered as a 12-metre or 18-metre articulated vehicle. The 12-metre version can transport up to 105 passengers, while the 18-metre model has a capacity for 155 passengers.
The vehicle’s interior prioritises space and comfort for seated and standing passengers. Alike to a tram’s high-capacity design, the wide aisle and open spaces make it easier for passengers to move around.
What’s more, its low-floor design facilitates easy boarding, including for passengers with reduced mobility. It has designated wheelchair spaces and, unlike many standard buses, it features wide, accessible doors at the front and in the middle of the vehicle.
Alongside these features, the Irizar ie tram has a sleek, streamlined design and panoramic windows that mirror the aesthetic of a tram.
Despite these qualities, the vehicle is indubitably a bus, operating with rubber tyres on standard roads. Be this as it may, when operating on BRT routes with dedicated lanes, transit signal priority and limited stops, the model can help enhance public transit by offering an alternative to costly tram networks.
