Bolloré to end Bluebus electric bus production

The French conglomerate Bolloré has announced the termination of electric bus production at its subsidiary, Bluebus. Despite delivering nearly 700 vehicles in 6-meter and 12-meter models since 2011, the company failed to reach the production volumes necessary to compete with established manufacturers.

The decision follows significant setbacks, including fire incidents involving Bluebus vehicles. Investigations into these fires identified short circuits caused by improperly installed insulation in the batteries. These batteries, developed by sister company Blue Solutions using lithium-metal polymer technology, were intended to be a key competitive advantage but instead damaged the brand's reputation. A major client, Paris-based RATP, temporarily withdrew 232 Bluebus units from service following these incidents.

While the European electric bus market is growing, Bluebus faced increasing price pressure and a slowing French market. The production shutdown is expected to affect up to 74 jobs at Bluebus and 41 at Blue Solutions, though a European industrial group is reportedly considering acquiring the research and development division. A smaller organization may remain to provide customer service for existing fleets.