Barcelona’s bus network has 27 large capacity hybrid vehicles, with a combination of electric and diesel motors which reduce consumption and emissions by 30%.

The fleet of buses introduced by Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) between February and March are articulated 18 metre hybrid vehicles, the first of this kind in the Spanish state. The buses will help renew and improve the environmental quality of the service, which is already one of the highest in Europe.

The hybrid vehicles are powered electrically and generate electricity with an auxiliary motor or combine electrical traction with that of the diesel engine. The result is a reduction in consumption and emissions of 30%. The new vehicles mean TMB now has 159 hybrid buses in its fleet, representing an estimated saving of 3,240 tonnes of CO2 and 37.9 tonnes of nitrogen oxide.

Other features

The new vehicles also have a total of four doors, two at the front to get on and two at the rear to get off, include features for passengers with reduced mobility, such as reserved spaces, non-slip floors, and have stop buttons for the visually impaired. The buses also have USB connectors for passengers to charge mobile phones and illuminated displays on the sides showing the service route number and the destination.