23 million euros financing for electric bus purchase in Île-de-France.

Oblibus, a financing package offered by Banque des Territoires in partnership with the European Investment Bank, is supporting Île-de-France Mobilités and the RATP with €23 million for the acquisition of 100% electric buses and charging infrastructure.

Île-de-France Mobilités has plans for 100% clean buses in dense areas by 2025 and 100% by 2029 in the suburbs.

New e-BRT lines are going to be launched, with innovative ground-based charging system. Bluebus is expected to deliver up to 158 electric buses in Paris, following the maxi tender awarded in 2019 and the 2021 framework agreement just signed for a maximum period of 4 years.

Oblibus – RATP for e-buses in Paris region

To support its ambitions to accompany the greening of mobility, a major pillar of the “Climate Plan” presented in September 2020, the Banque des Territoires, in partnership with the European Investment Bank (EIB), has set up the Verdibus Territoires platform which includes Oblibus, an innovative offer
dedicated to the financing of green bus fleets.

Taking the form of a bond issue, Oblibus enables the financing of the acquisition of the bus fleet and the associated refuelling infrastructure. The interest rate evolves in the opposite direction to the cost of the electricity consumed by the bus, Île-de-France Mobilités announces in a press note.

Bus2025 programme for electrification of bus fleet

This operation, carried out to meet the objectives set by Île-de-France Mobilités, is part of the “Bus2025” programme set up by RATP for Île-de-France Mobilités. Its aim is to greenthe bus fleet with electric, biomethane and hybrid engines by 2025, i.e. 4,700 buses involved for 1.8 billion euros investment by the organising authority.

Île-de-France Mobilités, together with RATP, has been able to receive two European grants: €23 million in October 2020 and €27.7 million in May 2021. A second Oblibus funding for an amount similar to the second grant is currently being contracted, bringing the total amount of support to €101.4m.

For Richard Curnier, Ile-de-France regional director of Banque des Territoires: “RATP and Île-de-France Mobilités are strategic players for the Ile-de-France region, and the financing of the Bus 2025 Plan by the Banque des Territoires via its Oblibus financing offer, demonstrates its commitment to the greening of public transport but also the ability to develop tailor-made solutions for more sustainable and more attractive territories“.

For Laurent Probst, Director General of Île-de-France Mobilités: “The energy transition and the fight against pollution are at the heart of Île-de-France Mobilités’ priorities: we have decided to accelerate the energy transition of buses and coaches throughout the region, making the Île-de-France region a world benchmark for very low-carbon urban and interurban public transport. The entire energy transition programme for our bus fleets (cost of vehicles, work to convert depots to new energies) will cost around 4 billion between now and 2030″.

For François De Wailly, director of the Bus2025 programme at RATP: “This new funding demonstrates the importance of the ongoing energy transition of the fleet operated by RATP for Île-de-France Mobilités, as part of the Bus2025 programme. This transformation, accompanied by the European Commission funding, will enable us to put 500 clean buses into service each year between 2022 and 2024. Today, 2,200 biomethane, electric and hybrid buses are in circulation on the lines operated by RATP, i.e. 45% of the fleet in operation”.

Highlights

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