In the second decade of April 2027, Uzhhorod expects nine low-floor electric buses. They are planned to be directed on routes through the city center, where regular buses currently operate. This will be the first urban electric transport in the regional center, which still does not have either trams or trolleybuses. This is reported by the Uzhhorod City Council.
The city has already encouraged drivers to switch to buses. Now, it is preparing to change the transport itself: electric buses are expected to replace a portion of the vehicles on routes through the central streets. The numbers of these routes have not yet been announced.
When the electric buses will arrive in Uzhhorod and how much the project costs
The European Investment Bank will provide 3.9 million euros at 2.75% per annum for the project. This is a preferential loan, not a non-repayable financing. The city mayor, Bohdan Andriiv, also mentioned co-financing the purchase from the Uzhhorod budget, but the amount was not specified in the provided data.
The contract was signed in January 2025 as part of a joint project of the bank and the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development “Urban Public Transport of Ukraine II.” The winner of the international tender was “ElectronMash.” The electric buses are currently being assembled at the manufacturer's plant.
Along with the vehicles, the city expects a charging station, spare parts, consumables, and equipment for maintenance. The director of the KP “Uzhhorod Municipal Transport,” Vitalii Gotra, explained that drivers will also need to undergo training. Therefore, the arrival of the electric buses in April does not necessarily mean that they will hit the routes on the same day.
Where the electric buses will be charged and how they will change traffic in the center
The charging station will be installed at the automotive transport enterprise on Zahasrka Street. The electric buses are planned to be charged at night. According to the head of the transport department of the city council, Petro Bobyk, the city is small, so one charge should be enough for daytime operations.
For passengers, the change will mean the appearance of low-floor vehicles on part of the central routes. For the city, it is also a way to reduce emissions where many vehicles travel daily. At the same time, the final launch schedule will depend on the readiness of the charging station, equipment delivery, and driver training.
Electric buses are included in Uzhhorod's development strategy as a way to make urban transport more environmentally friendly. Similar purchases are being prepared by other cities: Zaporizhzhia plans to purchase 21 electric buses, and Ivano-Frankivsk ordered nine dual buses. For Uzhhorod, the uniqueness of the project is that electric transport will have to be launched from scratch.