Keolis to introduce e-buses in Odense following contract extension

On 30th April, Danish public transport authority (PTA) FynBus awarded Keolis a four-year extension worth €75 million ($81.75 million) to operate and maintain 70 urban buses in Odense, Denmark.

The original contract due to expire in August 2023 will now run until August 2027 and feature the conversion of 20 buses to 100% electric-powered vehicles. This new milestone confirms Keolis' commitment to partnering effectively with PTAs by advising and accompanying them in the transition to greener energies.

Keolis has been operating Odense's urban bus network on behalf of FynBus since 2015. Under the new contract, which begins in August 2023, Keolis will replace 20 of the 70-strong bus fleet with fully electric vehicles. The e-buses, which are manufactured by Yutong, are due for delivery in spring 2021. Keolis will also train drivers and maintenance staff, test the e-buses prior to their launch and install e-bus charging stations in the depot to enable a full 6-hour overnight charge.

225 drivers operate the 70 urban buses in Odense, Denmark's third largest city (200,000 inhabitants) located on the central island of Funen (west of the island of Zealand). In 2021, the bus network, which features 10 lines, will be reconfigured to ensure optimal connectivity with the Odense tram network which Keolis will launch in the autumn.

“We are delighted to receive this extension on our Odense bus network contract from FynBus and honoured by its trust which illustrates our strong partnership culture and the quality of our operations. FynBus can count on our determination to deliver the best passenger experience and support the transition to vehicles powered by greener energies thanks to our worldwide experience in zero-emission bus operations in Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, France, Canada and the US,” saidbBernard Tabary, CEO International at Keolis Group.

Keolis works hand-in-hand with PTAs around the world to integrate more sustainable mobility within networks for the benefit of passengers and the environment. Recent wins and launches have confirmed the Group's role as a central actor in the transition to greener energies.

In Europe, the Group won major sustainable mobility contracts in 2019, notably in the Netherlands (346 electric buses), Norway (140 carbon-free buses, of which about 100 are electric) and Sweden (biodiesel buses). And in the same year, in France, Keolis launched the 100% hydrogen Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line in Pau and the 100% electric BRT lines of Bayonne-Biarritz and Amiens, making Keolis France's largest operator of 100% electric networks.

In North America, Keolis operates electric buses in Greensboro (North Carolina), Foothill (South California) and Reno (Nevada) in the United States. In Canada, it became the largest operator of 100% electric C-type school buses in North America.

Keolis has been present in Denmark since 2007 with activities in nine cities. It operates around 500 buses throughout the country and is responsible for tram networks in Aarhus - the country's first tram network which opened in December 2017 - and in Odense, which is scheduled to open in autumn 2021. Keolis employs 1,550 people in Denmark.