Belgian public transport operator Opérateur de Transport de Wallonie (OTW), operating under the commercial name TEC, has ordered 97 Volvo 7900 S-Charge buses. This large order follows previous recent deliveries of Volvo hybrid Buses to TEC. The order was secured through a public tender as part of a larger framework agreement between Volvo Buses and OTW-TEC. In 2021, Volvo Buses delivered 64 Volvo 7900 S-Charge buses and before that around 100 electric hybrid buses were supplied in 2018.
OTW-TEC has the ambition to add 430 hybrid buses to its fleet. With the order, OTW-TEC will have 293 complete Volvo buses in service as well as 177 vehicles with Volvo chassis and bodies supplied by Jonckheere. Volvo 7900 S-Charge was launched in 2020 and is now in operation in more than 25 countries. It does not require charging infrastructure as it continuously self-charges while in operation, recovering energy when braking and driving downhill. It can drive in
full-electric mode for up to 1 km and up to 50 km/h, which provides the flexibility to adapt to different cities’ public transport needs. Other benefits include fuel savings, reduced emissions and low noise for both passengers and nearby residents. “We are very pleased that OTW-TEC continues to order our electrified buses and that we can continue our cooperation to provide sustainable transport in Belgium,” says Bas Dubois, Managing Director, Benelux.