Bulgaria and North Macedonia expand electric bus fleets

Bulgaria is expanding its electric public transport infrastructure through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). Under the ‘Environmentally Friendly Mobility’ initiative, over €60 million has been invested across 30 municipalities. This funding has supported the delivery of 99 electric buses and 82 charging stations, alongside improvements to cycling infrastructure, pedestrian crossings, and digital transport management systems. Beneficiaries include cities such as Gabrovo, Sevlievo, and Sandanski, where Chariot Motors recently delivered an electric bus with a 400 km range.

In North Macedonia, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Aleksandar Nikoloski announced that the first 30 electric buses are expected to be delivered in January, ahead of the contracted schedule. Addressing concerns regarding component origins, Nikoloski noted that the buses utilize Chinese-manufactured batteries, a standard practice across the European electric vehicle market. He compared the cost-effectiveness of the local procurement to higher-priced European alternatives that also rely on Chinese battery technology.