The MD9 electriCITY is a model introduced in 2019. The 9.5-metre midibus was designed for narrow streets and challenging road conditions. While its range was initially stated as 230 kilometres, this has since been updated to up to 480 kilometres under ideal conditions. The improvement is partly due to the battery capacity, which has increased from 200 kWh to 280 kWh. We reported on a delivery of this model to the Lithuanian city of Druskininkai in 2022.
Now, UAB Kautra, one of Lithuania’s largest public transport operators and a Temsa customer for over 20 years, has added 15 MD9 electriCITY buses to its fleet. These vehicles will be used to provide public transport services for municipalities.
Temsa CEO Evren Güzel commented on the delivery to UAB Kautra: “At TEMSA, we have been investing in electrification for a long time. Today, we have 11 zero-emission vehicles in our portfolio. We develop our own battery systems. We invest in charging and energy solutions. This allows us to go beyond manufacturing and act as a true mobility partner.”
According to Temsa, the delivery is part of Lithuania’s broader strategy to accelerate the transition to zero-emission public transport systems. Last year, 52 per cent of all newly registered buses in the country were electric. It appears EU funding was used for the procurement of these electric buses, as representatives of the European Commission attended the handover ceremony in Kaunas.
Lithuania is an important market for Temsa: including the deliveries planned for this year, the company will have supplied a total of 321 vehicles to the Baltic state. Temsa collaborates with UAB Kautra for distribution and servicing, as the latter also procures and maintains Temsa buses for smaller transport operators. However, Temsa has not specified the proportion of electric vehicles in this total fleet – and it is likely that, as with other manufacturers, diesel models still predominate.