Lisbon puts another 29 electric buses into service
Lisbon's public transport operator Carris is expanding its electric bus fleet by 29 vehicles. This increases the total to 103 electric buses. The company aims to phase out fossil fuels entirely by 2030.
Carris expands its electric bus fleet in Lisbon with 29 Yutong U 12.
Image: Carris
The latest procurement for Lisbon’s public transport services is part of an investment programme of more than €31 million, of which €17.05 million is being financed through the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), according to reports by _Portugal News_.
With these additions, Carris’ electric bus fleet has grown to 103 EVs. According to Portuguese Secretary of State for Energy Jean Barroca, 78 of these were funded through the PRR. In 2026 alone, Carris has already put 15 electric minibuses into operation, in addition to the 29 Yutong U12 buses now being introduced.
Once the new vehicles are in service, more than 50 per cent of the kilometres driven by Carris will be covered by buses without polluting engines. By 2030, the municipal transport company aims to phase out fossil-fuel-powered vehicles entirely. The number of diesel buses has already decreased from 524 to 379.
Carris expands Lisbon’s charging infrastructure
Carris is investing in charging infrastructure parallel to expanding its electric fleet. By the end of 2026, around €2 million will be allocated to charging projects at bus stops. Further investments of more than €10 million are planned for 2027 to build out infrastructure and information systems for energy management.
Under the PRR, Carris has procured a total of 25 charging stations since 2022, as well as 29 minibuses and 49 standard buses, according to its own statements. The corresponding investment volume amounts to nearly €32 million, of which around €15 million comes from its own funds.
However, Carris CEO Rui Lopo sees the delivery capacity of the European bus industry as a challenge for the further fleet transition. In the long term, the transport operator aims to procure and put into operation up to 150 new buses annually.
At the national level, the electrification of bus transport is also set to continue. The Portuguese government and the European Commission intend to support the procurement of 1,006 emission-free buses for more than 70 municipalities.
Porto is also expanding its electric bus fleet. The local transport operator STCP ordered an additional 30 electric buses from the Portuguese manufacturer CaetanoBus in 2025. Its electric buses have already been operating in Lisbon for some time, as the first 15 vehicles entered service there in 2019, followed by an order for another 30 in 2023.