September 2, 2021. Commissioned by Rennes Métropole, France, as part of the renewal of the metropolitan area’s fleet, the first 39 buses that run on compressed natural gas (CNG) begin to circulate on the different lines of the STAR network.
Delivered last June, the Mercedes Citaro NGT have 450 kilometers of range. With the colors of the new network decoration, they are part of a global order for 68 CNG vehicles, 22 of which are articulated. The remaining 29 units will arrive gradually between 2022 and 2024.
“The buses we have chosen run on 20% bio-CNG and will do so up to 30% from January 2025”, explains Matthieu Theurier, Metropolis Vice President of Mobility and Transport.
For Rennes Métropole, this switch to natural gas is aimed at gradually moving away from diesel. Since 2015, it has chosen to stop purchasing new buses that use this fuel. Instead, two technologies were chosen: electricity and CNG, which should represent 100% of the fleet by 2030.
