Paris Tzen 4 BRT: Hess completes Van Hool 24m electric buses ahead of 2026 service launch
After more than 18 months of delays, the 30 Van Hool Exqui.City 24 Electric articulated buses for Paris’ Tzen 4 BRT line are finally set to enter service by the end of this year, as reported on Hungarian trade media Magyarsbusz (where also the picture is sourced). The fleet, originally scheduled for autumn 2024, was […]
After more than 18 months of delays, the 30 Van Hool Exqui.City 24 Electric articulated buses for Paris’ Tzen 4 BRT line are finally set to enter service by the end of this year, as reported on Hungarian trade media Magyarsbusz (where also the picture is sourced). The fleet, originally scheduled for autumn 2024, was stalled by the manufacturer’s bankruptcy in spring 2024, which not only blocked deliveries of vehicles valued at over €1.4 million each but also put the entire Tzen 4 project, with a total budget of around €140 million at risk.
Before Van Hool’s collapse, only five buses had been delivered. The remaining 25 were left at an advanced stage of production at the Coningshooikt plant in Belgium. Île-de-France Mobilités successfully negotiated with the liquidators to transfer ownership and resume production. Final assembly was completed by Hess in a leased facility on the former Van Hool site, with support from ex-Van Hool staff (as we reported in late 2024), while Alstom and Kiepe Electric continued to manage propulsion and electrical systems.
Hess is completing Van Hool buses
The buses are specifically designed for the Tzen 4 line, connecting the southern suburbs of Paris with the city center via a high-capacity BRT corridor.
Most of the fleet has now arrived at Île-de-France Mobilités’ COB de Corbeil Essonnes depot, with testing resuming this summer after the long pause. If all goes according to plan, the 24-meter electric buses will enter trial operations at the end of 2025 and full service in early 2026.
E-BRT lines in Paris, a world premiere
This solution, which will be a world première, will see buses powered by Kiepe Electric’s high-power fast-charging batteries which will be charged by Alstom’s conductive ground-based static charging system (SRS). The framework contract includes a minimum of 56 vehicles.
The T Zen 4 BRT line will cover the 14.8-kilometer distance between Viry-Chatillon and Corbeil- Essonnes. The new line will replace the existing 402 line, which is the busiest line in the Paris metropolitan area, transporting nearly 26,000 passengers every day. The T Zen 5 line is a new 9.5-kilometer bus route connecting Paris-13 with Choisy-le-Roi via Ivry-sur-Seine and Vitry-sur-Seine.
