TMB launches Vall d’Hebron’s first fully electric neighborhood bus

Barcelona’s first fully electric neighborhood bus has entered regular service on route 185, linking the streets of Canyelles and Vall d’Hebron. Four more vehicles are due to arrive in the coming weeks.

Transportes Metropolitanos de Barcelona began testing the bus in summer 2023, when August electricity demand provided a demanding test of its performance. After a lengthy public tender, the company has now started deploying the smaller buses across its network of 22 surface neighborhood routes.

The vehicles will soon also appear on routes 180 in Torre Baró Sud and 124 in Penitents. These routes share a difficult feature: steep and demanding terrain. TMB says the buses can cover the routes throughout the day without recharging until the end of service.

The buses are built by China’s Yutong and measure almost seven meters, making them slightly longer than the current model. That could prevent them from operating in neighborhoods with very tight bends. The fleet expansion forms part of TMB’s plan to finish 2026 with 372 fully electric buses, or 30% of its total fleet.