Scania introduces high-floor electric bus and coach platform

Scania has launched its first high-floor battery-electric platform at Busworld Europe, enabling zero-emission coaches with up to 600 km range and flexible charging.

Scania has taken a significant step beyond its traditional city bus focus by unveiling its first high-floor battery-electric platform for coaches at Busworld Europe 2025. For the Swedish manufacturer, this marks the debut of zero-emission solutions in the long-distance and tourist segment, a domain previously dominated by diesel power.

The spotlight is on both range and practicality. The new battery system delivers up to 600 km, while luggage space remains almost on par with combustion coaches. This makes the platform suitable for medium-distance intercity traffic, airport transfers, and sports team travel. At the same time, its flexibility allows it to be configured for school buses, sightseeing vehicles, or even bus rapid transit systems in regions such as Asia, Africa, and South America.

On the technical side, the figures are ambitious: the e-machine produces up to 330 kW, with an installed battery capacity of 534 kWh (480 kWh usable), and charging capability reaching 325 kW. The platform’s compatibility with a variety of body types offers operators and builders considerable freedom of choice.

Scania emphasizes that the launch is not just about the vehicle but about the ecosystem around it. The Scania Charging Access service provides operators with a growing network of heavy-duty public charging stations, while smart charging helps reduce energy costs and protect battery health. Further expansion is linked to the company’s subsidiary Erinion, tasked with deploying tens of thousands of charging points in Europe by 2030.

The Busworld 2025 context underlines how competitive this space has become. MAN introduced the Lion’s Coach E with up to 650 km range and 375 kW charging, Volvo launched its BZR Electric chassis offering up to 720 kWh of energy storage and around 700 km range, while Solaris premiered the compact Urbino 10.5 electric. Against this backdrop, Scania’s new platform positions the brand firmly in the evolving European coach electrification race.

Market reaction so far has come mainly from trade media and expert commentary, but the signal is clear: by entering the long-distance segment with zero-emission coaches, Scania is helping set the stage for a rapid transformation. With European subsidies and charging infrastructure projects in motion, such vehicles may soon be a regular sight on routes that once seemed out of reach for battery power.