The main benefit of electric buses is the reduction of CO2 emissions in the city, thus reducing environmental impact. The company also says noise will be reduced and that over the long term there will be cost savings. It also says the new buses will be more comfortable and include smartphone charging ports.
The purchase of electric buses was carried out within the framework of the project "Purchase of electric buses for the city of Riga" co-financed by the European Union Cohesion Fund (No. 4.5.1.2/22/I/002). The total cost of the project is planned to be EUR 19.18 million, including Cohesion Fund co-financing of EUR 16.06 million.
The first sight of the new buses was during test runs are being carried out without passengers. During the runs, experts check the technical readiness of the buses, including the functionality of the equipment, such as the information system.
It is important that the other technologies overseen by the company, such as bus stop screens, communication with dispatchers and driver control boards, also work in sync with the new electric buses.
For the drivers, it is important to take test drives to adapt to the new vehicle and to experience the charging processes. The winter season is the perfect time for this, as road conditions and the heating of the interior have a direct impact on battery charging.
Initially the electric buses will be running on routes 26, 33, 57, 9, and 20.
