With a view to the gradual electrification of its bus fleet, the Monaco Bus Company (CAM) will, this autumn, test four 100% electric buses of different brands: two minibuses of 8-9 m and two standard buses of 12 m. Tests began this Monday.
The first electric bus tested was be an 8.9m minibus from the Polish manufacturer Solaris, loaned by the network of the city of Sète. It will run on line 5, until November 8, and on line 3, from November 9 to 24.
Then, from the end of October and for a period of three months, the CAM will test two buses of the Chinese manufacturer CRRC: an 8.2m minibus on line 3 and a standard 12m bus on lines 1 and 2. These buses are distributed in Europe by the French company Clément-Bayard.
Finally, starting in mid-November, CAM will run on lines 1 and 2 a standard 1 m bus from the Spanish manufacturer Irizar.
“The feasibility study will be conducted in parallel by the Directorate of Prospective Planning and Mobility (DPUM) and the Mission for Energy Transition,” confirms Séverine Canis, director of the DPUM, stating: “The objective is to know precisely the conditions of operation of electric buses in the Principality and in particular their energy consumption with regard to the peculiarities of Monaco, including steep slopes.”
The data collected will enable the Princely Government and CAM to determine the most appropriate charging system for the electrification of 42 buses serving the six lines of the network.