In order to ensure the requirement of the open procurement announced by VSIA “Autotransporta direkcija” in 2019 that as of 1 August 2021 10% of the fleet involved in the route network part must be emission-free, JSC “Nordeka” has supplemented its fleet with the first seven electric passenger minibuses NOVUS ECOLINE, becoming the flagship of Latvian regional passenger transport.
Electric minibuses were built in Vilnius, Lithuania, by order of the company SIA “E Buss”, which is the official distributor of these buses in Latvia. In turn, aftercare for these minibuses will be provided by SIA “Domenikss”.
These minibuses will start transporting passengers on August 1 in Riga and Bauska district. After evaluating all the conditions - the specifics of minibuses, capacity, route conditions, etc., a decision was made to service such routes as “Riga – Saurieši – Salaspils”, “Salaspils – Daugava Museum – TEC2 – Saulkalne”, in Bauska part - “Bauska – Janeikas”, “Bauska – Viesturi”, “Bauska – Ādžūni” etc.
"For the passengers on these routes this means extremely comfortable and ergonomic seatings, a modern stop notification system and quiet, environmentally friendly mobility. These minibuses will be recognizable by the number plates with the letters "EX" in light blue color, as well as the emblem “Electric” on the front of the minibuses,” says Sergejs Konopijevs, Chairman of the Board of JSC “Nordeka”.
The construction of NOVUS ECOLINE electric minibuses is a project initiated by SIA “E Buss” and SIA “Domenikss”. Leading companies in the Baltics - Domenikss Ltd., General Representative of Mercedes-Benz AG in Latvia, the largest car body fitter in the Baltics UAB "Altas Komercinis Transportas" and UAB "Elinta Motors" - a knowledgeable and experienced developer of electric car drive components and battery systems and manufacturer.
“We are pleased to be able to consolidate the knowledge accumulated in the Baltics and create an internationally competitive offer in a rapidly growing market segment. There is a high demand for minibuses with up to 22 seats in all Baltic and Scandinavian countries. In turn, the development of zero-emission transport is among the global priorities. Therefore, this project has a high potential,” says Vitalijs Ročans, Member of the Board of SIA Domenikss. “The decision of JSC “Nordeka” to become the first in regional transportation by electric minibuses confirms the company's foresight in planning strategic development and, using the latest technologies, helps to rank among the leaders in "green" passenger transportation. We are convinced that NOVUS ECOLINE is a reliable partner, so these minibuses will be seen on Latvian roads more and more often. ”
The addition of electric minibuses to the fleet of JSC “Nordeka” will be significantly influenced in the future by two main factors - innovation and state support policy. “We are definitely interested in continuing to expand our fleet with “green” minibuses. We will do this by evaluating the experience of using these minibuses on regional roads of different pavement, accessibility indicators, which are expected to continue to grow in the future, as well as state support policy,” continues S. Konopijevs, Chairman of the Board of JSC “Nordeka”. “Electric minibuses are currently more expensive than vehicles with internal combustion engines. Therefore, the question is whether and how the state intends to promote the development of this segment, for example, through tax policy in addition to the currently granted road operation tax relief.”
About NOVUS ECOLINE
- Built on the basis of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter;
- 19 passenger seats and one seat for a person with reduced mobility;
- electric motor power 150 kW;
- 3 battery packs with a total capacity of 115 kWh;
- reachability with one charge up to 200 kilometers;
- fast charging function - 80% charging in less than 2 hours;
- maximum speed 90 km / h,
- Technologies that allow remote monitoring of minibus movement and key parameters, as well as remote diagnostics and software updates.
