Volvo Buses has now launched a broader electric offer for customers in Europe. With the completely new Volvo 8900 Electric and an upgraded Volvo 7900 Electric – together with the Volvo BZL and Volvo BZR platforms – Volvo Buses can offer sustainable transportation solutions for city, intercity and commuter services.
“Many cities and regions in Europe have come far in the electrification of city traffic and commuter- and intercity transport is a natural next step. We are very happy that we can offer our customers sustainable, efficient and high-quality products that meet their needs,” says Thomas Nylund, Head of Volvo Buses Europe.
The new Volvo 8900 Electric, which is based on the global Volvo BZR platform, is a low-entry bus for city, intercity and commuter transport. It is available as both two- or three-axle versions and can transport up to 110 passengers. Depending on needs, it can be equipped with one or two electric motors, which gives it an output of up to 400 kW (or 540 horsepower). A modular energy storage system gives it a battery capacity of up to 540 kWh.
“The routes in commuter and intercity transport are very different. With the new Volvo 8900 Electric, we have a flexible and reliable solution that can be optimized and adapted for our customers’ different prerequisites and needs,” says Thomas Nylund.
In parallel with the launch of the new Volvo 8900 Electric, the Volvo 7900 Electric, including the articulated bus, has been upgraded. Volvo Buses’ low-floor buses have been very successful and are currently available in 25 countries.
Both the Volvo 7900 Electric and Volvo 8900 Electric have several new functions for improving driver comfort and safety. For example, the driver’s environment has a completely new design and a dynamic instrument cluster with easy-to-read and logically placed controls to help the driver stay focused and free of distractions.
The Volvo 7900 Electric and its articulated version, together with the Volvo 8900 Electric, are also equipped with Volvo’s latest active safety systems, with particular focus on unprotected road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. In many cases, the safety systems exceed the standards set by EU regulations, as well as many of the other legal requirements found in the rest of the world.
The chassis for the Volvo 7900 Electric, Volvo 7900 Electric Artic and Volvo 8900 Electric are manufactured at Volvo Buses’ plant in Borås, Sweden. The bodies will be manufactured by Volvo Buses’ partner MCV in Egypt, where a completely new production facility for Volvo Buses’ complete electric buses is currently being built. Production of the Volvo 7900 Electric and Volvo 8900 Electric will begin in early and mid-2025 respectively.
“Together with our partner MCV, we are looking forward to delivering premium products of the highest quality to our customers and together continuing to develop Volvo Buses’ offer with new solutions that meet the needs of city and intercity transport, both today and into the future,” says Thomas Nylund.