On Monday, the Autonomous Community unveiled its first all-electric bus for the Movibus service, which connects La Unión to Cartagena. This route serves over twenty-five thousand users monthly. The new bus, accommodating seventy-five passengers, boasts a real range of more than three hundred kilometres. José Antonio Verdú, the General Director of Mobility and Transport, and Joaquín Zapata, Mayor of La Unión, highlighted the significant improvement in regional public transport between these two strategic municipalities.

This electric vehicle is part of a new fleet being introduced by Movibus as part of the public transport modernisation process. Verdú stated that these newer vehicles are cleaner, quieter, and more accessible, providing a viable alternative to private car usage. The total investment for this initiative exceeds twenty-eight point seven million euros, funded partially by European ‘Next Generation’ funds and the regional government.

Alongside this first bus, a total of sixteen electric vehicles will form part of the fleet to be handed over to the future concessionaire of the RMU-4 Mar Menor-Metropolitana de Cartagena agreement, serving several municipalities including Cartagena, La Unión, and Los Alcázares. These vehicles will be charged at fifteen charging points being installed in La Asomada, Cartagena, with a budget of one million two hundred and twenty-seven thousand three hundred and forty-six euros.

The first electric bus on this service has been operational since the twenty-fourth of July, serving the Cabo de Palos-Veneziola route and has already been used by over ten thousand six hundred passengers, illustrating a strong demand for cleaner public transport options in the region.