Zagreb puts 62 new electric buses on the road as ZET accelerates fleet electrification

(Photo: Grad Zagreb)

ZAGREB, 5 September 2026 (Croatia Week) – Zagreb has taken another major step towards the electrification of its public transport system with the introduction of 62 new low-floor electric buses and a new charging facility for the city’s public transport operator ZET.

The new fleet was presented at ZET’s Podsused facility, where Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević also officially opened the new electric vehicle charging station.

The fleet consists of 30 standard buses, 26 articulated buses and six midi buses, with a total procurement value of almost €56.8 million.

Around €45.4 million of the cost has been secured through European Union funds under Croatia’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan, in cooperation with the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure. A further €11.4 million has been provided by the City of Zagreb.

The arrival of the new buses means that around one-fifth of ZET’s entire bus fleet will now be electric.

“Citizens of Zagreb will notice the new buses from Monday, as there are 62 of them,” Tomašević said, noting that around 300 buses operate daily during the busiest timetable following the start of the school year.

(Photo: Grad Zagreb)

New charging infrastructure

The new charging facility in Podsused has been built to support the current electric fleet and its future expansion.

It features 67 double chargers, providing 134 charging spaces, alongside new electrical and control infrastructure. A total of 41 kilometres of cable has been installed, while around 8,500 square metres of land has been arranged as part of the project.

The charging facility was worth more than €9.8 million including VAT. Around €7.8 million was financed through EU funds under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund. The remaining €2 million was financed by the City of Zagreb.

The city says further charging locations will be required as the electric fleet expands.

Full electrification planned

Zagreb plans to continue replacing conventional buses with electric vehicles, with the city targeting the full electrification of the ZET bus fleet within the next seven to eight years.

According to Tomašević, two additional charging locations in Zagreb will be needed to support the larger fleet.

“This is only the beginning,” he said.

The new buses are low-floor and accessible to people with reduced mobility. They are also equipped with air conditioning, modern safety systems, video surveillance, USB charging points and passenger counting systems.

In addition to improving passenger comfort and safety, the electric buses are expected to reduce noise and harmful emissions and contribute to improved air quality in Zagreb.

(Photo: Grad Zagreb)

The buses have a stated range, under optimal conditions, of at least 500 kilometres for standard models, 450 kilometres for articulated buses and 260 kilometres for midi buses.

This means the vehicles are designed to complete a full working day without requiring additional charging during service.

The latest investment forms part of Zagreb’s broader effort to modernise public transport while reducing the environmental impact of the city’s bus network.