FlixBus Colza: Record Distance Achieved with Biofuels

A new Flixbus route connects Brest to Grenoble, covering 1100 km, running on rapeseed oil. A first.

Brest, Quimper, Lorient, Auray, Vannes, Nantes, Angers, Saumur, Tours, Clermont-Ferrand, Lyon, and Grenoble! A true road trip for the FlixBus LN724 route linking Brest and Grenoble. It is indeed the longest commercial route in Europe powered 100% by biofuel.

This is the result of a cooperation between FlixBus and Volvo Buses for the use of Oleo100 biodiesel, produced from rapeseed. As a reminder, this new fuel is intended for trucks over 3.5 tons, whether new or used. Made from French vegetable agriculture, this methyl ester theoretically allows a 60% reduction in CO2 emissions and up to 80% reduction in fine particle emissions. It is also 100% biodegradable.

A Growing Momentum

Two Volvo Bus 9700s now run on biodiesel Oleo100 produced by the French company Saipol (Groupe Avril). The route is operated by the Vannetais coach company Voyages Morio, which further specifies that its buses emit 7.3g of CO2 per passenger per km traveled.

According to Damien Kerrand, General Manager of Voyages Morio: “By the end of 2022, we will have traveled over 1,300,000 km/year with our long-distance coaches powered by rapeseed oil, and we will be the only coach operator in Brittany. Biofuels are the future of transportation, both environmentally and politically. Today, Oleo100 is the only green energy that allows us to operate long-distance routes sustainably.”

Click here to watch the Flixbus Rapeseed video

No fare increase

The question everyone is asking is whether there will be a fare increase. According to Damien Kerrand, “rapeseed oil is paid the same price as diesel.” He adds, “When fuel prices go up, we see more passengers. It only takes two additional passengers in the bus to offset the effect of the fuel price increase.”

Also read: An Airbus A380 with 100% biofuel of plant origin