Exponential growth of E-buses in Western Europe

The number of electric buses in Western Europe is skyrocketing. In the past year, more E-buses were registered than between the years 2012 and 2018 combined. This was the outcome of a study by Chatrou CME Solutions.

Almost 12% of the (city) buses registered in 2019 are powered electrically. In the previous year, the number was only 548. This means that the amount of registrations has tripled within a single year. This corresponds to 1687 E-buses out of a total market of 14,392 city buses.

Alternative propulsion systems

Yet it was not just the E-bus segment that grew in 2019. The proportion of buses with alternative propulsion systems also soared. E-buses, hybrid buses, CNG (compressed natural gas) and fuel cell powered city buses now have a combined market share of 39%. This figure was 28% in the previous year.

Ranking of alternatively powered city buses 2019:

1. E-buses (+300%)
2. Hybrid buses – including moderate hybrids (+70%);
3. CNG buses (+20%);

The total number of 14,392 city buses that were registered in 2019 also set a new record. Registrations rose by 20%. Slightly less than 12,000 new city buses were registered in 2018.

Dutch VDL – market leader in E-buses

Dutch manufacturer VDL became the market leader at the end of 2019 with a total of 386 registered electric buses and a market share of 22.5 %. In total, 232 vehicles were registered on the domestic market alone, the most important market in Europe. Between 2012 and 2019 a total of 726 E-buses made their way onto the roads in The Netherlands.

Chinese manufacturer BYD is in second place, having registered 236 E-buses in 2019. BYD produced a further 79 E-buses for the British market in cooperation with Scottish bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL). In third place is the Polish manufacturer Solaris with a total of 145 registrations. Swedish manufacturer Volvo is in fourth place with 135 registrations.

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15% of Dutch buses now electric, but big differences between regions