The French city of Rennes has launched a tender to establish an innovative partnership with a private company capable of manufacturing 100 percent electric buses. The first phase of the partnership will focus on research and development, establishing the range of the bus and its effectiveness in real traffic conditions. The city wishes to have the electric buses in service by 2020.

One of the primary wishes of the city is for the electric buses to have similar durability to their fossil fuel counterparts. If testing goes well and the buses prove effective when deployed along working routes, the city will place an order for further buses. The chosen company will be expected to develop a maintenance and support system for the vehicles.

The buses are part of Rennes wider strategy to reduce harmful emissions from transport. They compliment the electricity-powered metro line, which carries 43 percent of public transport passengers. Rennes métropole also plans to expand its fleet of electric bikes, increasing the number available to 1000.

For more information, visit mobilicites.com [in French].