Electric buses have been a reality for several years in Barcelona and many other cities around the world. There are medium-sized ones, large ones and even articulated ones, like the one that crosses the Gran Via daily from end to end as if it were a tram. On the other hand, the sector has never paid attention to minibuses, which are an important part of the fleet of Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) due to the many neighborhood lines that exist in the city.
The problem, which has even forced the company to operate with vehicles without an environmental label, is starting to change the trend with the first 100% electric minibus that provides service with passengers in the Catalan capital. It does, for now, in the testing phase.
The time chosen to do the checks is not futile. August has been chosen because it is the time when the vehicle has the most electricity consumption due to the intensive use of the air conditioning to guarantee a comfortable temperature inside. “The consumption is up to 30% higher than that of a winter month with heating”, highlights TMB’s director of bus technology, Josep Maria Armengol.
This condition in the midst of a heat wave like the one experienced last week is added to the layout of the strategically chosen lines: the 116 in the La Salut district, with the steep climbs up to Park Güell, and the 185 between Canyelles and Vall of Hebron. In the case of both routes, the vehicle faces considerable slopes and delicate turns that require a certain skill at the wheel. The intention is to push the vehicle to the limit to ensure that it has enough autonomy to withstand the 16 hours of daily work, as these neighborhood lines only have one vehicle assigned to the route.
The model manufactured by the Catalan company Indcar and the electric vehicle manufacturer Bluebus is the first to meet the conditions for this. “An electric minibus, because it is so small, has a limited capacity to put the batteries on the roof”, highlights Armengol, who celebrates the best autonomy of the vehicle (250 kilometers), as well as the good reception it has received from users.
There are up to 26 people on board: 10 seated, 15 standing and a space reserved for people with reduced mobility. As it is August, there have been no congestion problems on lines that regular residents tend to use. Travelers who boarded the day La Vanguardia tried it gave the go-ahead to the change and highlighted more comfort and space despite the fact that from the outside it seemed smaller, as it measures less than six meters in length and 2.20 in width.
The approval of the commuters of the neighborhood bus lines comes after receiving applause from the sector at the presentation during the World Summit of the International Union of Public Transport (UITP), held at Fira de Barcelona in June. The tests will continue for a few more weeks, after which the managers of the TMB bus service will need to analyze the technical results to assess the suitability of buying vehicles of these characteristics.
The company has been delaying investments in this type of bus due to the limited supply and the high prices on the market, comparable to those of a large bus. From now on, that may change. “This summer’s tests will be decisive for making decisions”, explains Armengol. Of course, they will weigh the reduction of emissions and the economic efficiency of the purchase.
