This time, Higer electric midibuses are coming to Hungary with Goldi Mobility’s involvement

Another three Chinese electric midibuses are set to arrive in Hungary: following the three electric midibuses ordered by Székesfehérvár and marketed under the GOLDiON E9 name, similar vehicles will once again expand the domestic electric fleet with the involvement of Goldi Mobility. The three new midibuses will be put into service by HOMM Kft., with their procurement made possible by state funding awarded under the Green Bus Programme.

Although the vehicles will arrive under the same GOLDiON E9 trade name, they in fact do not come from the same manufacturer. While the midibuses procured for Székesfehérvár are built by Zonson Smart Auto Corporation, HOMM Kft.’s vehicles will come from the factory of Higer Bus, also known as Scania’s Chinese bodybuilder partner. This time, behind the Goldion E9L name is Higer’s Azure 9 model, developed specifically for the European market.

The vehicles will be put into service by HOMM Kft. in Biatorbágy’s local public transport system. The company received HUF 486,309,534 in non-refundable funding under the Green Bus Programme for the procurement of the vehicles and the charging infrastructure. The charging infrastructure required to serve the electric buses will be installed at HOMM Kft.’s depot in Budaörs.

The exact level of domestic added value in the vehicles – beyond import and the tasks related to placing them into service – is not yet known. What is known, however, is that in this case the Chinese manufacturer will supply the midibuses in a nearly 8.9-metre-long version capable of carrying 45 passengers. Direct propulsion is provided by a centrally mounted Dana MD100F electric motor, capable of delivering 140 kW of rated power and 200 kW of peak output, while energy is supplied by a 266.6 kWh CATL battery pack. According to Goldi Mobility, the buses may be capable of achieving a range of up to 381 kilometres on a single charge.