Battery-powered tour buses come to Arctic Norway

Diesel-powered tourist buses on their way to the North Cape. The distance between the port and North Cape is 34 kilometres, a perfect distance for an electric bus, according to coach operator Tide. (Thomas Nilsen/The Independent Barents Observer)
The travel industry goes green and the north is no exception when tour-busses aims for zero emission.

It is the northernmost tourist bus destination on mainland Europe. The North Cape gets about 270,000 visitors a year. Many of them arrive with cruise ships to Honningsvåg and ride up to the plateau in busses.

The distance from the port to North Cape is 34 kilometers, a perfect distance for a battery-powered bus, according to coach operator Tide.

The company buys 16 pure-electric tour-busses that will be based in Stavanger, Bergen, Trondheim, Tromsø and Honningsvåg.

North Cape is the northernmost tourist bus destination in continental Europe. (Thomas Nilsen/The Independent Barents Observer)

“Norway is already well underway with introducing electric city-busses,” says transport manager Astrid Lilliestråle with Enova, the country’s agency for providing grants to support the green shift.

“Tide’s commitment marks the starting point for a similar transition in the tour-bus market,” she adds.

Enova has supported the project with 27 million kroner (€2,7 million).

Additional to the battery-powered busses, dedicated charging stations will be established where the busses are to be operated.

Battery-powered city-busses are already driving around in major Norwegian cities, like here in Oslo. (Thomas Nilsen/The Independent Barents Observer)

Norway’s Minister of Climate and Environment, Sveinung Rotevatn, says he hope other will follows. “I hope that the experience and lessons learned from this project will make other companies follow Tide’s example.

The electric tour-busses will be delivered over the next year and a half and will replace diesel-busses driving today. With the 16 busses, the estimated annual CO2 savings will total around 720,000 kilos, Tide informs.

Related stories from around the North:

Canada: Hybrid-powered electric cruise ship navigates Northwest Passage, CBC News

Finland: Finnish climate panel: Electric cars cheaper in the long run, Yle News

Norway: Electric car sales skyrocket in Arctic Norway, The Independent Barents Observer

Russia: Mining boost in Russian central Arctic to feed electric vehicle market, The Independent Barents Observer

Sweden: Giant battery factory bringing economic boom to Northern Swedish city, Radio Sweden

United States: Alaska’s first, electric public transit bus ready to hit Anchorage streets, Alaska Public Media

Thomas Nilsen, The Independent Barents Observer

For more news from the Barents region visit The Independent Barents Observer.

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