Volvo Buses won the Climate and Health award at the UITP MENA conference in Dubai

Volvo Buses has won the Climate and Health award at the UITP conference held in Dubai on 6 February. The trophy is motivated by the electromobility implementation in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The launch of the new BZL electric bus chassis is the latest novelty from Volvo Buses, which has announced it’ll be selling e-buses in Latin America also.

Volvo Buses gets UITP Climate and Health award

The Gothenburg delivery included the provision of 145 Volvo 7900 Electric Articulated buses and charging infrastructure in the city. Close partnerships with the local public transport authority Västtrafik, and the bus operators Transdev, were essential for the project to succeed, the bus builder points out in a press note announcing the awarding. Implementation of the entire electromobility system and bus fleet took place overnight for a seamless transition.

The environmental benefits have been significant. Calculations show that CO2 emissions in city traffic have been reduced by 10% compared to the replaced vehicles, which were already running on renewable fuels. Emissions of nitrogen oxides have almost halved and particles have decreased by almost 20%, Volvo Buses underlines.

“We are delighted to see our electromobility delivery in Gothenburg win this important award,” says Ulf Magnusson, SVP Europe at Volvo Buses. “Electrifying 35% of a city bus fleet overnight demands extensive planning, close collaborations and expertise. The project is part of our ongoing commitment to quiet, clean and sustainable public transport that helps to create Zero Cities all over the world.”

Mohamed Mezghani, Secretary General, UITP says: “The UITP Awards celebrate the most ambitious and cutting-edge projects from around the globe. Volvo Buses and the Gothenburg delivery exceeded expectations on all the criteria that we set. We felt the project excelled at enhancing quality of life in urban areas by promoting public transport while positioning it as the backbone of urban and local mobility. The project managed to do this innovatively, with prospects for replication by our colleagues in the sector. We congratulate them and are very proud to offer them a UITP award!”.