ArrivaBus prepares for new electric fleet with BYD eBus B12 testing

ArrivaBus has reached another significant milestone in its electromobility development program in Budapest. On Friday, a factory-owned BYD eBus B12 demo bus successfully arrived at the company’s Andor Street depot, which is currently under renovation. This summer, the company will test the bus on the city’s roads. As known, from next year, ArrivaBus will deploy a total of 82 purely electric BYD buses—including 58 solo and 24 articulated models—on BKK routes, including reserves. The trial run, starting in a few days, aims to fully adapt the incoming fleet to Budapest’s transport needs and road conditions, ensuring the new vehicles serve the city’s passengers efficiently and reliably when they officially enter service in early 2026.

Initially, the demo bus will operate without passengers in Budapest’s traffic. This phase of the test run aims to assess the expected energy demand and consumption of each route under real traffic conditions and make any necessary fine-tuning. According to BKK’s recently published plans, the new model will be seen in regular service from spring 2026 on downtown routes, in the Buda hills, on Rákóczi Road, and likely on lines 105 and 210, which connect Angyalföld and central Buda via the Chain Bridge.

The test vehicle, with its striking yellow-black paint job, is the same as the showcase model at the Brussels Busworld Europe 2023 and Berlin InnoTrans 2024 exhibitions. It differs in specifications from the future sky-blue Budapest series buses, the first of which may arrive in Hungary as early as early autumn, according to reports. The 12,130 mm long, 2,550 mm wide, and 3,200 mm high electric bus is equipped with a 491 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry-based Blade battery pack by BYD, powered by the Chinese manufacturer’s own developed 2 x 150 kW hub motors with a portal axle. The battery pack and drivetrain parameters are identical to those of the units ordered by ArrivaBus, making the upcoming test run likely to provide valuable data on the model’s applicability in Budapest.

To accommodate and service the new electric bus fleet, ArrivaBus is completely renovating its Andor Street depot, details of which are covered in this article. With the help of the newly arrived test bus, various depot functions and tasks will be trialed, including the battery charging process, technical parameters, and the initial training of the first group of drivers and technical staff working with electric buses. This will provide the company with further valuable technical and operational experience, greatly contributing to the reliable and efficient operation of the future fleet.

Arriva states that it is committed to environmentally friendly, sustainable public transport solutions and is proud to actively contribute to improving air quality and creating a more livable, quieter, cleaner, and greener environment in Budapest through the introduction of electric buses. The test run now starting marks an important milestone on this path.