Bucharest receives 87 million euros for new electric buses and trolleys

Bucharest will receive 87.44 million euros from the modernization fund to upgrade its public transport fleet. According to Mayor Ciprian Ciucu, this funding will be used to purchase 40 electric buses and 45 new trolleybuses, among other things.

A archival image of Yutong trolleybuses in Bucharest from January 2026.

Image: Bucharest City Hall

The project has been approved by the European Investment Bank as a priority investment for Bucharest, Mayor Ciprian Ciucu wrote on Facebook. The grant is non-repayable; the city only needs to cover the value-added tax itself.

Ten new trams are planned as replacements for V3A(M) vehicles, 45 trolleybuses to replace older Astra-Ikarus models, and 40 electric buses. Of these electric buses, 20 are expected to be 12 meters long and 20 to be 10 meters long. They are intended to replace Mercedes-Benz Citaro vehicles equipped with Euro-3 diesel engines.

The specific manufacturers and models that will be used have not yet been determined. The funding commitment serves as the initial financial basis for the planned procurement, before the vehicles are bid on through a formal tender process.

Bucharest has been pushing to electrify its bus fleet for some time. At the beginning of 2026, the city received 22 battery-powered trolleybuses of the Yutong U12 type. Thanks to additional batteries, these vehicles can travel up to 20 kilometers without connecting to the overhead lines.

Bucharest Expands Its Electric Trolleybus Fleet

Previously, 100 Solaris Trollino 12 buses had already been delivered to Bucharest. The city also ordered 100 battery-electric buses from Karsan and announced plans to build 100 charging stations for them.

For the 40 electric buses now planned, Ciucu identifies further expansion of the charging infrastructure as the next key step. This infrastructure should be designed so that the buses can be put into use immediately after delivery.

With these new vehicles, the city aims to modernize the fleet of Societații de Transport București and replace older diesel and trolleybuses. According to the mayor, the project is also intended to improve the quality of public transportation and reduce local air pollution.