January 24, 2025. The first liquefied natural gas (LNG) coaches ever operating under FlixBus‘ livery were presented in Rimini, Italy, at Irizar’s local headquarter, on 15th January 2025.
Four Scania-Irizar i6S models, which can also run on Bio-LNG, will be used to connect 30 cities across Italy, particularly in the South of the country.
Flix is also taking part in the research project HyFleet together with its partners Freudenberg Fuel Cell e-Power Systems and ZF, with focus on the rollout of hydrogen coaches.
The new coaches presented in Rimini are 14-meter, three-axle models with a capacity of 54 passengers. The gas tank is located on the left side, reducing the luggage compartment capacity by 1.8 cubic meters (from the usual size between 6.5 and 6.9 cubic meters), leaving an estimated capacity of around 5 cubic meters. To compensate for the reduced luggage space, additional luggage racks are placed above the LNG compartment.
The Swedish company Scania has never hidden its “affection” for gas technology. In 2024, gas technology accounted for 1,295 of the 4,920 total registrations of vehicles over 8 tons in Italy.
This means that 26.3% of vehicles registered in Italy in 2024 were gas-powered. Scania (providing the chassis) and Irizar (the bodybuilder) have chosen to focus on LNG technology, that sees Italy in a position of European leader, with 172 operating stations (including 7 for Bio-LNG) and another 21 under construction.
