News
Bus de Barri goes electric: the first minibus is already running through Barcelona
This Monday 7 September, Barcelona put into service the first 100% electric minibus to be permanently incorporated into its Bus de Barri network. The vehicle began running on line 185, which links Canyelles metro with Vall d’Hebron, and will be the first of five units that TMB will deploy over the coming weeks.
The new bus is a Yutong E7S, 6.97 metres long and 2.28 metres wide, dimensions designed for a service in which manoeuvrability is especially important. It can carry up to 26 people, ten of them seated, and has a low floor and ramp to make access easier for passengers with reduced mobility.
Its 176.04 kWh battery is recharged overnight at the depot, so the vehicle can provide service without direct emissions during its working day. TMB had tested this same model on different Bus de Barri routes before deciding on its permanent introduction.
The first unit has been assigned to the 185, which links Canyelles with Vall d’Hebron and makes it possible to connect to the metro network at both ends. The other four minibuses do not yet have publicly assigned routes: TMB will decide where they operate according to the operational needs of a network that currently has 22 Bus de Barri routes.
Electrification, however, has a physical limit. The new model is close to seven metres long and its wheelbase makes manoeuvres difficult on some of the network's narrower routes. It therefore will not be able to replace all the small buses that currently travel along streets with tight bends and steep slopes.
For those routes, TMB has ordered another 31 six-metre minibuses with Euro 6 diesel engines. Although they will not be electric, the company estimates that they will emit 86% less than the old vehicles they will replace. The renewal illustrates one of the difficulties of electrifying the Bus de Barri: finding vehicles able to combine a battery, passenger capacity and a sufficiently small size.
The five minibuses are part of a larger purchase of 23 electric buses, which also includes 18 double-deck vehicles. The base budget for that tender, launched in 2024, amounts to 19.2 million euros and deliveries are being made in phases during this year.
The move to electric will continue in the coming months. Before the end of 2026, the arrival of 24 electric articulated buses is planned, and during 2027 TMB expects to add another 76 electric vehicles, including standard and articulated models. With all these purchases, the company estimates it will reach 372 zero-emission buses, more than 30% of its fleet.
For users of route 185, the change can already be seen on the street. The first vehicle has begun operating between Canyelles and Vall d’Hebron; the next four will arrive on other routes over the coming weeks.