Marseille: All RTM Buses to Be Fully Electric by 2035

A testing phase began at RTM in January, marking the first step of the project to convert Marseille’s buses to 100% electric within 13 years.

General news often focuses on the transition of cars to electric, less about VTCs, car sharing, or heavy trucks that are nevertheless essential for mobility. Concerning buses, the transition begins in the city of Marseille as part of an ambitious project.

Several buses and stations undergoing testing in Marseille

At the beginning of January 2022, a new electric bus arrived at RTM (Metropolitan Transport Authority). The Marseille network welcomed a brand-new Heuliez GX for a large-scale test, on line 42 (Metro 5 Avenues – La Rose Depot).

Fortunately, this bus will not be alone, as 15 others will support it. RTM’s mission is to test “different charging modes and electric bus technologies from several manufacturers”.

Specifically, the test involves 5 different manufacturers including Mercedes, Volvo, and Irizar, as well as 3 charging stations. The goal is to “charge any vehicle regardless of the type of charger and avoid dependence on a single technology.”

First wave in 2024, and 100% electric by 2035

This testing phase will last about 2 years, until 2024. It is at this date that RTM will choose the technology and model to equip the first renewal of 54 electric buses. Today, 21 electric buses are already in service since 2016 on line 82. Hybrid buses also joined the network in 2020, while the average age has decreased from 10.5 to 5.2 years over 20 years.

In the longer term, the network plans to fully convert its fleet. RTM aims to operate only 100% electric buses by 2035 (almost 630 in total). It hopes to reach this goal by renewing 50 vehicles annually. Hydrogen bus technology is not part of RTM’s plan.

To achieve this, it will invest 100 million euros until 2030 and will need to restructure its 4 bus centers. These centers will have to install the necessary charging stations for logistics, as well as “transformers and electrical supervision systems”. This will help save and reduce pollutants by around 13 million liters of diesel per year.

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