The First Photos of Budapest’s Brand-New BYD eBus B12 Electric Buses Have Arrived

The first purely electric BYD eBus B12 city buses have been completed from a fleet of more than fifty vehicles, which will be operated by ArrivaBus in Budapest from next year, as the winner of the related service order tender. The first photos of the vehicles, manufactured in accordance with BKK’s specifications and requirements, have arrived from BYD’s Qingdao factory, where the series production of vehicles destined for Budapest is in full swing. (Due to lack of capacity, BYD’s factory in Komárom could not take on the production of the series, and at the time of order placement, the B12 type equipped with BYD’s new generation Blade batteries was not yet included in the Hungarian production program.)

The zero-emission vehicles for Budapest were personally inspected by Anikó Körmendi, CEO and the technical experts of the company at the BYD plant during their recent visit. During the contractual obligation of on-site inspection, the Hungarian side had the opportunity to thoroughly review the production process and conduct a detailed examination and technical acceptance of the first completed unit. The visit is a significant milestone for the project, as the Budapest series is being produced with several technical parameters specified by BKK and the authorities of the Hungarian capital, which in many aspects diverge from BYD’s international practices. These include, for example, passenger information and camera systems in compliance with local regulations, different climate system settings, optimization of battery operation for winter and summer, as well as door layout and floor height fitting Budapest’s platform height.

During the interim production inspection, Hungarian specialists checked, among other things, the quality of structural assembly, the compliance of installed components, and coordinated the further scheduling of series production. The successful conclusion of the current on-site inspection has practically paved the way for the completion of the entire series assembly and the delivery of the first units. The new fleet acquired by ArrivaBus will consist of a total of 82 purely electric, fully low-floor BYD buses, including reserves. The majority of the contingent will be made up of 58 units of the new generation BYD eBus B12 solo electric buses, representing one of the largest orders of this type from Europe so far. The 12-meter solo buses will have a capacity of 87 passengers, including 32 seats. The European market B12, presented at the 2023 Brussels Busworld Europe exhibition, is currently BYD’s most advanced city bus. Among the numerous technical innovations, BYD’s self-developed, Blade-named lithium iron phosphate (LFP) traction batteries with enhanced fire safety are noteworthy, with most of them integrated into the floor chassis. This construction results in a low center of gravity and excellent stability. The units intended for Budapest will be equipped with a 491 kWh total capacity battery pack, promising a considerable range on a single charge, as the vehicle’s average energy consumption is only 0.65 kWh/km, which, according to the manufacturer, has now been confirmed by tests conducted under real traffic conditions. The remaining 24 units, each 18.75 meters long articulated buses, will represent the BYD eBus B19 model, with a capacity of 125 passengers and equipped with 41 seats and a 563 kWh total capacity LFP traction battery pack. The new vehicles will be introduced into Budapest’s traffic in a phased manner starting from spring 2026, primarily on high passenger traffic routes crossing the inner areas of the capital.

The soon-to-arrive BYD fleet opens a new chapter not only in the history of ArrivaBus but in the entire public transportation of Budapest, as there has been no precedent for the acquisition of purely electric buses of such volume in the capital before. The operation of the new vehicles will take place in close cooperation with BKK, which can further expand the range of sustainable transportation alternatives with the integration of the fleet. The Chinese electric buses contribute to the enhancement of service quality not only with their emission-free drive but also with their advanced passenger information systems, modern driver assistance features, and high-performance climate systems designed for passenger comfort. The implementation of the project is also the first significant practical step in the electrification program of the capital’s bus operation, which in the long term may fundamentally reshape the face of Budapest’s public transport system.

Photos: ArrivaBus Ltd.