IVECO BUS seals landmark order of 409 Urbanway Natural Power buses for Ile-de-France Mobilités

Monday 7th October 2019

IVECO BUS, CATP (French Public Transport Central Purchasing Office) and Ile-de-France Mobilités officially confirmed an order for 409 Urbanway Natural Power buses at the opening of the National Public Transport Exhibition, in Nantes.

The biogas-powered vehicles will be delivered between 2020 and 2021 and operate in the inner and outer suburbs of the Paris metropolitan area.

It is the first time that such an order has been placed via a central purchasing office, without going through transport operators. This new procedure is aimed at standardising the equipment used in the Ile-de-France region, to ensure that passengers enjoy buses of equal quality.

The 12-metre-long, Urbanway Natural Power buses will feature the brand-new harmony interior design of Ile-de-France Mobilités, which sets new standards in terms of comfort and safety.

Quieter than ever, thanks to the use of natural gas, the new buses will be equipped with air-conditioning, CCTV, USB ports and under-seat LED lighting for a more comfortable trip.

Biogas-powered, they will also increase the number of environmentally-friendly buses operating in the region and play an active role in the renewal plan of diesel bus fleets.

The fuel, derived from recycled organic waste, offers major environment-related benefits in terms of pollutant emissions and noise. The level of fine particles emissions is close to zero and NOx emissions are reduced by more than a third. The noise level is cut in half, offering near-silent operation for the driver, passengers and residents alike.

With an extended range of 400 kilometers, the Urbanway Natural Power buses are ideally suited to public transport in the Greater Paris area.

“We are extremely proud that Ile-de-France Mobilités elected to give us the order, which confirms its commitment to energy transition,” commented Stéphane Espinasse, Head of the IVECO BUS brand. “Once again, IVECO BUS’ expertise in the field of alternative energy vehicles is acknowledged.”