Barcelona launches its first electric double-decker tourist buses

Barcelona is taking a giant step towards sustainable mobility: from this Monday, the first 100% electric double-decker tourist buses are running on the city's emblematic routes. Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) has incorporated three of the ten vehicles purchased from the Galician company UNVI (i23 model, 12 metres), with the rest gradually entering service before summer.

Total investment: more than €17 million for 18 units (10 large + 5 minibuses). The new buses replace the oldest diesel ones and stand out for:

Overnight charging

Advanced safety (360° cameras, blind-spot sensors, pedestrian/obstacle detection, speed assist)

Less noise and zero local emissions

With this renewal, TMB expects to reduce more than 1,200 tonnes of CO₂ and 7 tonnes of NOx a year, improving air quality in the heart of the tourist centre. The final goal: to electrify the fleet's 65 tourist buses in the coming years. The minibuses for neighbourhoods will partly use synthetic fuels because of range limitations.

These electric buses do not only modernise tourist transport: they reduce noise and pollution in the heart of the city (where tourist-bus traffic is intense), improve air quality for residents and visitors, and reinforce Barcelona's image as a sustainable destination. For Barcelona residents, they mean quieter, cleaner streets, fewer emissions in saturated tourist neighbourhoods and a real step towards a healthier, more liveable city. For tourists, a more comfortable and ecological experience when touring Gaudí, the Gothic Quarter or Barceloneta.