T&E: ‘49% of new city buses in Europe were zero-emission in 2024’

According to the NGO Transport and Environment, almost one in two new buses (49%) sold in Europe in 2024 had zero emissions—electric or hydrogen—exceeding the objectives set by the European Union on CO2 standards for buses and making city buses one of the early success stories of the European Green Deal.

Fuel cell buses comprised 3% of new EU city buses in 2024; battery-electric buses, however, represented by far the most significant part, with a 46% share. At this growth rate, city buses are on track to reach fully zero-emission sales by 2027. For city residents, that means quieter streets and cleaner air.

Success story

“The success of zero-emission buses is due to European regulations, which indicated to the market that the days of diesel were numbered,” said Marie Chéron, expert for T&E France.

Several other measures have also favored the development of electric and hydrogen engines to the detriment of diesel, such as low-emission zones decreed by municipalities.

Disparities in Europe

However, there are disparities in Europe, as noted by T&E. In 2024, three countries have purchased 100% new electric buses. These are the Netherlands, Iceland, and Finland. The Netherlands clearly leads the transition: less than 1% of new city buses have been diesel since 2021.

France, on the other hand, is lagging, with only 33% of electric urban buses registered in 2024, below the average for European Union countries (46%). Italy ranks third with a 44% share but under the EU27 average of 49%.

Germany is also lagging with 25% of new electric buses, while Spain (57%) and the United Kingdom (56%), other significant markets for urban buses in Europe, are ahead.

At the bottom of the ranking are Greece (9%), Lithuania (5%), Hungary (4%), and Slovakia (0%).

The story of Estonia offers a glimpse of what is possible. Last year, Estonia came in last in the ranking, having registered no ZE city buses in 2023 (or in previous years). However, Tallinn received the first electric buses in the country in April 2024, and by the end of the year, 84% of new Estonian city buses were battery-electric.