Battery-electric buses are clearly taking the lead.

While the sales of CNG buses slightly declined and hybrid buses could only slightly increase their sales shares, 2021 was a year of e-buses in Western Europe and Poland. This is according to the overview by Chatrou CME Solutions, which lists sales of buses over 8 tons with alternative drives. According to this, 3,282 e-buses were sold last year - after only 2,210 units in 2020. This means that the fully electric models have almost caught up with the hybrids (2021: 3,285; 2020: 2,919). In contrast, CNG buses recorded a decline in sales from 3,162 to 3,088 units year-on-year.

Solaris leads the way

Market leader in electric buses over 8 tons in 2021 was Solaris with a share of 11.9% or 390 units. Closely followed were BYD/ADL (11.4%, 375), Mercedes-Benz (10.1%, 333), and Yutong (9.2%, 303). Iveco Bus/Heuliez (8.3%, 274), BYD (7.8%, 257), Volvo (6.4%, 211), Irizar (6.1%, 201), VDL (5.4%, 178), MAN (4.1%, 134), and Ebusco (3.0%, 132) also secured their share of the market. Looking at the long-term trend since 2012, Solaris, BYD, and VDL were the most successful in the e-bus market.

Germany strongest sales market

The European sales market No. 1 for fully electric buses in 2021 was Germany for the first time with a share of 16.9% or 555 units. This was followed by the United Kingdom (16.5%, 540), France (15.6%, 512), Denmark (6.6%, 217), Poland (6.6%, 215), Finland (5.8%, 190), Sweden (5.8%, 189), Italy (5.4%, 178), the Netherlands (4.6%, 152), and Spain (3.9%, 127). However, since 2012, the most e-buses have been sold in the Netherlands; closely behind are Germany, the United Kingdom, and France. Together, these four account for a total market share in Europe of over 55% during this period.

Increase also in fuel cell buses

The year 2021 also saw a significant increase in sales of fuel cell buses. Sales increased from 47 (2020) to 158 units. However, only 259 units have been sold in Europe since 2021.