The Croatian capital is pressing ahead with its electrification plans for public transport. Zagreb’s operator ZET has started the tender process for 70 battery-electric buses to modernise and decarbonise the city’s fleet.
The City of Zagreb is taking the next step towards cleaner urban mobility by initiating the purchase of 70 battery-electric buses. Public transport company ZET has published a preliminary tender covering three types of buses: standard 12-metre vehicles, articulated models, and smaller midi-buses.
According to the tender, ZET is looking to acquire 33 standard buses, 29 articulated buses, and eight midi-buses. The standard and articulated buses must offer a range of at least 300 kilometres per charge, while the midi-buses should cover a minimum of 200 kilometres. The buses will be powered by high-capacity battery packs – at least 380 kWh for the 12-metre buses, 510 kWh for the articulated versions, and 100 kWh for the midi-buses.
The total value of the procurement is estimated at €50 million. Of this, €23.6 million is earmarked for the standard buses, €23.2 million for the articulated models, and €3.2 million for the midi-sized vehicles. As outlined in the tender documents, the main evaluation criteria for bidders will be cost, battery size, and warranty conditions. The deadline for offers on Zagreb’s tender has not yet been publicly confirmed.
This new tender follows Zagreb’s first steps into e-mobility earlier this year. In April, the city officially introduced its first electric bus, part of a batch of four vehicles ordered in late 2024. Mayor Tomislav Tomašević has made clear that the electrification of the public transport fleet is a central pillar of the city’s climate strategy. In the medium to long term, Zagreb plans to move towards a fleet fully powered by electric and hydrogen technologies.
Supporting this local transition, the Croatian government is also investing heavily in charging infrastructure. Through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, €50 million has been allocated to the construction of at least 150 new charging stations for electric buses across the country.
balkangreenenergynews.com
