First airport electric coach trial underway on Charleroi - Brussels line

A 100% electric bus is being trialled between Brussels South Charleroi Airport and Brussels Midi station this week in a bid to reduce CO2 emissions on the busy route.

In a first for the airport sector, mobility company Flibco.com is testing a 100% electric coach from 27 October to 2 November with partner company Voyages Léonard, it announced in a press release on Tuesday.

Their aim is to reduce CO2 emissions by 127 tonnes a year per vehicle to make journeys to and from the airport less polluting.

Among the factors being tested, are the charging and range time for the vehicles. “The charging time is estimated to be 2.5 hours for 200km journeys. These trials will help us see if this is feasible for long journeys,” said Flibco.com Belgium director Paul De Muynck.

Flibco provides a transport service for 13 airports in Europe. It links Charleroi with Antwerp and Liège airports, and carried out tests on electric vehicles serving its terminals in September.