How Hitachi is Powering Zero-Emission Public Transport in the Netherlands
Bringing together mobility, energy and digital capabilities to support Utrecht’s transition to fully electric buses
Globally, cities are accelerating the shift to zero‑emission public transport to improve air quality, reduce noise, and meet increasingly ambitious climate targets. In the Netherlands, the city of Utrecht is committing to a fully electric urban bus network. Supporting this transformation, Hitachi is delivering the infrastructure, digital capabilities and service support needed for this transition, positioning the project as a flagship for Hitachi’s e‑mobility capabilities.
Following the start of its new 10‑year concession in December 2025, Transdev now operates electric buses across Utrecht city’s network. Transdev is investing more than €350 million in the transition, including around 250 new electric buses and the integration of approximately 69 vehicles already in operation. Once complete, the fleet will serve nearly 50 routes and more than 30 million passenger journeys per year.
Delivering zero‑emission public transport at this scale requires more than replacing diesel buses with electric ones. Electrifying an entire fleet must account for space‑constrained depots, the coordination of energy use across tight operating schedules, and the need for a reliable energy supply to support fleet charging. This helps keep vehicles available and timetables running to schedule..
Hitachi is delivering compact and scalable charging infrastructure and a smart charging platform, that optimizes energy use, balances loads, and significantly reduces operational costs.
Long‑term performance is supported by preventive and corrective maintenance for the charging infrastructure under a dedicated service framework. Hitachi is also supplying and maintaining the validators used for passenger check-in on buses and trams within this concession – the same equipment that is already deployed across all Transdev buses in the Netherlands, ensuring a consistent and reliable ticketing experience for passengers.
Electric buses travel through Utrecht’s historic streets with significantly lower noise levels, while the elimination of tailpipe emissions improves local air quality around bus stops and residential areas.
For the city, each electric bus helps advance climate commitments and reinforces Utrecht’s broader sustainability agenda, including its role as a ‘Global Goals City’ aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The result is quieter streets, cleaner air, and a public transport system that is sustainable and future proof.
