The first electric bus is already running in Palma

The EMT’s first electric bus is already running in Palma on lines L29, L40 and L39

It is a 12-metre, zero-emission vehicle that, for the time being, provides service on lines L29, L40 and L39 and will be circulating on others at a later date.

The acquisition of this first electric vehicle of the Municipal Transport Company (EMT) of Palma is financed by the European Union – NextGenerationEU – Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan through the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda.

New 12-metre buses have three doors, 22 seats (four for people with reduced mobility), a wheelchair area and a capacity for 70 people. The design of this new urban vehicle provides greater visibility for the driver, more comfort for the user and windows that make the most of sunlight, which helps to reduce interior lighting consumption. The vehicle has three 430-kilowatt batteries with a range of 16 to 18 hours.

Pre-circulation of a prototype

Previously, to guarantee the optimum quality of service, a prototype of this model has circulated over the last few weeks on different lines of the EMT network in Palma in order to test its adaptation to the orography, turns and city traffic. A test period that has also allowed the 12 12-metre buses that will be arriving in Palma to be better adapted to the city.

Second phase of fleet renewal

This new electric bus forms part of the second phase of the renovation of the EMT bus fleet, which will involve the arrival of a total of 65 new vehicles; 44 are 18-metre gas-powered buses, half of which are already circulating in Palma; four 8-metre mini buses with natural gas, the first of which is running on Line 9 from Son Espanyol; and five new 12-metre hydrogen buses, which begin to arrive this very month.