De Lijn begins service with BYD electric buses

Flemish public transport company De Lijn officially launched its first electric buses from BYD Europe into service on 23rd June. The vehicles are initially operating from the Mortsel depot, serving the Antwerp region, with plans to deploy them more widely across Flanders in the coming months.

The same De Lijn has ordered 140 buses from BYD in early June, within a 290-units e-bus order including also Iveco Bus and VDL vehicles. It followed a broader framework agreement signed between De Lijn and BYD in 2023 for the potential purchase of up to 500 standard electric buses, each priced at approximately €500,000. BYD has launched in Hamburg, on the occasion of UITP Summit 2025 in mid-June 2025, the intercity Low Entry model B13.b. And an articulated model based on the new blade chassis platform is coming.

A total of 92 BYD electric buses are scheduled for delivery throughout 2025. The first unit arrived at the Mortsel depot earlier this spring, where it underwent installation of auxiliary systems and operational testing. Driver familiarization and training programs have since been completed, enabling the first four vehicles to enter regular service, De Lijn states.

More than one-third of the 92 BYD buses currently in production are assigned to Mortsel. This allocation significantly boosts service capacity in the Antwerp area. The remaining units will be distributed to the Brugge, Hasselt, and Winterslag depots.

“We expect the same positive reaction from our travellers to this commissioning as we have for the other introductions of new e-buses,” says director general Ann Schoubs. “After all, they have the same attractive assets. These quiet and vibration-free buses are also equipped with USB charging points, an electric ramp for less mobile travellers, improved air conditioning and up-to-date trip information on extra-wide screens. But we have also thought about our drivers. For instance, their secure and ergonomic steering position has fully modern safety equipment.”