De Lijn to deploy six compact electric buses in Mechelen

The Flemish public transport company De Lijn will introduce six new emission-free minibusses to the Mechelen city network after the autumn vacations. These busses are more compact and run entirely electrically.

The new buses, costing 350,000 euros each, have been ordered from Chinese manufacturer Yes-EU. After the seven Yes-EU midi e-buses already in service in Bruges, this is the second time De Lijn has deployed e-buses from this manufacturer.

More maneuverable

The e-busses emit no exhaust fumes and are much quieter, causing less inconvenience to city center residents. Because they are smaller than conventional scheduled buses—they have a length of 8.5 meters versus 12 meters for a standard bus—they are more maneuverable, which is an added value in a city environment.

“This is something many travelers have been looking to for a long time,” says Alderman for Mobility Alexander Vandersmissen. “These new buses finally open the door to a new future for De Lijn in Mechelen.

Automatic ramp

The six e-buses are also easily accessible for less mobile travelers thanks to an electrically operated automatic ramp. However, the safety of passengers, pedestrians, and drivers has also been considered. For example, e-buses have cameras instead of mirrors, and drivers can rely on modern active and passive safety systems.

The buses will be used mainly on city line 1, from Mechelen Station to Sint-Libertus on Nekkerspoel. They will also sporadically serve other city lines. Their depot on Elektriciteitstraat has been equipped with the necessary charging infrastructure.

Further greening  of fleet

The commissioning of the six midi e-buses in Mechelen is part of De Lijn’s program to offer completely emission-free public transport throughout Flanders by 2035. Currently, De Lijn has 35 Van Hool e-buses in service and 5 VDL e-buses, while 109 have been ordered from Iveco and 92 from BYD.

In addition to Bruges and Mechelen, e-buses also depart from the depots in Genk-Winterslag, Leuven, and Destelbergen.

Recently, De Lijn, which for a long time lagged in terms of an e-fleet, received an investment budget of 400 million euros from the new Flemish government, on top of the public service contract, to focus on further greening.