Helsinki Region Transport adds fully electric buses to its fleet

Helsinki region aims to establish itself as a front runner in European zero-emissions public transport. This is why Helsinki Region Transport (HSL) will purchase 12 fully electric buses in an extensive joint pilot with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.

The buses will be made by Linkker Ltd., a Finland-based company specializing in electric powered transportation, and the first buses are planned to be in service in the autumn of 2015.

“We made an exception and bought the buses ourselves, because it would have been unreasonable to have a transport operator shoulder the technology risks of individually made electric buses”, says Reijo Mäkinen, Director of HSL’s Transport Services.

Usually the buses in Helsinki region are owned by transport operators. The exceptional electric bus arrangement, however, allows HSL to test and develop new passenger services on their own buses and try out various installations.

The buses will be extremely energy-efficient, thanks to their frame that is made fully out of aluminium. Other benefits include quiet operation and batteries that are quick to charge.

The purchase of electric buses is part of a wider four-year development project where HSL aims to create the infrastructure for new emission-free technologies. HSL’s target is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and harmful local emissions in bus traffic by 90 per cent by 2025. In order to reach the target, HSL has to implement new electric buses, low-emission diesel vehicles and biofuels.

For more information: Reijo Makinen