The French city of Triel-sur-Seine has launched a trial of an electric shuttle service that uses a six-meter electric bus made by Bluebus, a subsidiary of the Bolloré Group. The minibuses, which will be delivered this summer, are part of an order for up to 800 e-buses from three manufacturers by Île-de-France Mobilités, an agency that coordinates the various transport companies (including some 90 private bus companies) operating in the Île-de-France region.

Bluebus says it has sold over 280 units of its six-meter minibus, which is now in operation in more than 60 towns and cities throughout France.

Bluebus’s six-meter minibus, which is leased through the Bluestation turnkey service, is designed for historical city centers, and can accommodate up to 22 passengers. It is equipped with three solid-state LMP (Lithium Metal Polymer) batteries, which deliver a range of up to 180 km. The solid-state technology was developed by Blue Solutions, yet another unit of the Bollorè group, and is also used by Daimler in its eCitaro electric transit bus.

The Bluebus vehicles and their batteries, including the cells, are produced entirely in Brittany by the Bolloré Group.

Source: Sustainable Bus