France: City of Nantes acquires 80 Iveco natural gas powered buses

Nantes Métropole (the City of Nantes administrative department) and Semitan (Société

d’économie mixte des transports de l’agglomération nantaise – the semi-public company for

public transport in Nantes) have placed their trust in Iveco Bus for the renewal of rolling

stock in a supply deal that also sets the basis for future acquisitions. The contract for the

supply of articulated 4-door Urbanway buses powered by natural gas kicks off with an initial

order of 80 units.

The flagship vehicle in this range of buses will be delivered at the end of this year, with the

79 additional units to be rolled out progressively until the end of August 2017. As one of the

pioneering public transport networks choosing to adopt these systems, Nantes took delivery

of the first natural gas-powered bus in 1997. Today, 72% of the Nantes fleet of buses runs

on natural gas.

A total of 110 and 130 vehicles is expected to be required by Nantes Métropole and Semitan

for the period 2016-2020. The new articulated buses will replace 58 existing versions and 67

standard vehicles as part of the program to renew the fleet and increase the capacity of the

Chronobus high-quality service lines. In Nantes, the Chronobus lines facilitate access to the

city center and connect its neighborhoods and surrounding towns. Five additional vehicles

will be purchased to expand the fleet.

Alain Boeswillwald, the Director of Semitan, said: “The offer presented by Iveco Bus stood

out for its exceptional technical value, particularly with regard to the brand’s answer to our

requirements and specifications, in terms of passenger capacity, the ease of maintaining the

mechanics and bodywork, and the way in which these vehicles drive and can be integrated

into an urban environment. This manufacturer also obtained the maximum score when

assessed in accordance with the Time and After-Sales Service criteria”.

NGS INDIA