Bucharest to procure 40 electric buses and 45 trolleybuses with €87 million EU funding

Romanian capital city Bucharest has secured €87.44 million in non-repayable funding from the Modernisation Fund for the procurement of 40 battery-electric buses, 45 trolleybuses and 10 trams, as part of a new fleet renewal programme for municipal public transport operator STB.

The investment has been confirmed as a priority project by the European Investment Bank, according to an announcement by Bucharest Mayor Ciprian Ciucu, as reported by local media Informat.ro and covered also by trade publication Electrive. The funding will cover the acquisition of 95 new vehicles, with the municipality required to finance only the VAT component.

Bucharest has already been carrying out procurement programmes for electric buses and trolleybuses. Previous contracts include 100 battery-electric buses awarded to Karsan and 100 Solaris Trollino 12 trolleybuses, together with plans for 100 charging stations.

In early 2026, Bucharest also received 22 Yutong U12 battery-equipped trolleybuses. The vehicles are equipped with onboard batteries allowing operation for up to 20 kilometres away from the overhead wiring network.

Bucharest to purchase 40 electric buses

The programme includes the replacement of older diesel buses, Astra-Ikarus trolleybuses and V3A(M) trams currently operating in the Romanian capital. The next stage will concern the development of charging infrastructure for the new battery-electric buses.

The battery-electric bus procurement programme comprises 20 vehicles measuring 12 metres and another 20 measuring 10 metres, according to the information released by the municipal administration.

The 40 new electric buses are intended to replace Mercedes Citaro vehicles equipped with Euro 3 diesel engines, currently part of the fleet operated by Societatea de Transport București (STB).

Alongside the battery-electric buses, the investment programme provides for 45 new trolleybuses, which will replace older Astra-Ikarus vehicles, and 10 trams, intended to replace existing V3A(M) rolling stock.

€87.44 million from the Modernisation Fund for Bucharest public transport

The €87.44 million allocation has been confirmed by the European Investment Bank as a priority investment, according to Mayor Ciucu’s announcement.

The funding is non-repayable, while the municipality will be responsible for covering VAT. The available information does not specify the distribution of the budget between electric buses, trolleybuses, trams and associated infrastructure.

In brief

• How much funding has Bucharest secured for public transport?
  Bucharest has secured €87.44 million in non-repayable funding from the Modernisation Fund, with the municipality covering VAT.
• How many electric buses will Bucharest purchase?
  The programme includes 40 battery-electric buses: 20 measuring 12 metres and 20 measuring 10 metres.
• How many trolleybuses and trams are included?
  The investment provides for 45 trolleybuses to replace Astra-Ikarus vehicles and 10 trams to replace V3A(M) units.
• What is the next step in the procurement programme?
  The municipality plans to develop charging infrastructure for the electric buses before their deployment.