"We have made every effort so that the citizens of Bucharest can travel with electric buses until the end of this year and today we have the results: the vehicles were delivered approximately 4 months earlier than the term stipulated in the contract", states Bujduveanu.

The 100 vehicles, which will renew the STB fleet, are purchased with non-refundable European funds, through the Regional Operational Program program.

On August 22, the capital's mayor, Nicusor Dan, declared that the company that won the tender for electric buses intends to deliver the one hundred contracted vehicles by the end of the year.

"The prototype is not ready, but what they told us is that they want to deliver all 100 electric buses by the end of the year. It's easy to understand because there is European funding for them. If they deliver them by the end of 2023, we can pay them all the money in 2023, which is what everyone wants. If they don't deliver them in 2023, we have to put them on the next Regional Operational Program. Until the guide is made, until the applications are made, it may take another six to nine months before we can pay. And, then, they want to deliver all 100 of them by the end of this year", declared the general mayor at that time.

This contract was awarded following three failed tenders, one of which took place during the mandate of the current administration.

"It was an open tender, with four participants, with some quality criteria. A company that assembles various components won. And from China, from Germany, and from several places", explained the general mayor.

BMC Truck&Bus was declared the winner of the tender for the purchase of 100 electric buses in June, according to the announcement published on SEAP.

The new electric buses must be from the range of 12 meters long and have a minimum autonomy of 200 kilometers between two successive charges, fully electric traction, made autonomously with a Rechargeable Electric Energy Storage System (SRSEE), accumulator batteries, fully lowered floor along the entire length of the vehicle, three double doors and air conditioning.