Spanish bus-maker Irizar is building a plant to manufacture electric buses, reports El Pais. According to the newspaper it is spending EUR75 million (USD84 million) on a factory in Aduna (Spain) which will measure 18,000 square metres on a 37,000-square-metre plot. It is expected that construction will be completed during December, with production starting in January 2017. Initially, 40 staff will be employed, but potentially growing to between 300- and 500 during the next five years. Production has been earmarked at two electric buses or industrial vehicles per day.
Significance: Currently Irizar has five plants globally spread across Spain, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa and Morocco. However, with the growing focus on reducing emissions from public transport in cities, Irizar is hoping that moving in to the electrically powered bus field that it can capitalise on this potential growth market. Indeed, it already has such vehicles in use in San Sebastian (Spain), Barcelona (Spain), London (United Kingdom), Paris (France), Marseille (France) and Bayonne (France). However, it adds that orders are also currently outstanding for its products. Overall, it is said to be hoping for a market share of 20–25% (thought to be in Europe). However, the company may need to be prepared to disappointed in this, with other bus-makers also making a push into the electric bus market in Europe, most notably Volvo, Optare, BYD and Yutong.
