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