- Qbuzz benefits from a €70 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) supporting the operation of 275 electric buses and related charging infrastructure.
- The electric buses have replaced diesel-powered vehicles to cover regional routes in the province of Zuid-Holland.
- Apart from cutting carbon emissions, the buses also support European climate goals by increasing the availability of sustainable public transport to disincentivise private car use.
The EIB supports the greening of regional public transport in the Netherlands. Public transport operator Qbuzz, a subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, will benefit from a €70 million EIB loan, joining Société Générale, which acted as initial arranger, lessor, and senior lender for the same amount, all in support of the company’s switch to zero emission mobility. Qbuzz has put one of the largest electric bus fleets in the Netherlands in operation in the Dutch province of Zuid-Holland, covering cities such as Leiden, Alphen aan den Rijn and Gouda. The financing also supports charging facilities for these electric buses, including the installation of high-capacity electric infrastructure to connect Qbuzz depots to the national grid.
“The ongoing shift to sustainable mobility is not only important from a climate point of view, but very much also from a European energy independence angle.” noted EIB Head of Office Chantal Schrijver. “In the larger framework of the energy transition, Dutch companies and public sector players are doing their bit to make operations environmentally sustainable, and energetically independent. We are here to support that.”
Chief Financial Officer Angelo De Carlo at Qbuzz: “Collaboration has been a key success factor throughout this project. What we are doing in the Netherlands in the transition to emission-free public transport is unique in Europe. Delegations from Belgium, Finland, Norway, the Czech Republic, Germany and outside Europe from Japan, Kenya and India have come to see how we approach this transformation. There is a willingness everywhere to contribute to climate goals through emission-free public transport, which is very encouraging. At the same time, practice shows that making public transport more sustainable is not an easy task. Nevertheless, Qbuzz continues to bring together different stakeholders and work collaboratively to take meaningful steps for our climate”.
The electric buses have replaced a fleet of diesel buses, which supports broader European objectives in terms of cutting CO2-emissions and supporting the availability of sustainable public transport to disincentivise private car use. Qbuzz uses the new electric vehicles to serve the “Zuid-Holland Noord” concession area, as defined by the Province of Zuid-Holland, notably covering cities such as Leiden, Alpen aan de Rijn and Gouda.
Background information:
The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group is the financing arm of the European Union, owned by the 27 Member States, and one of the largest multilateral development banks in the world. In 2025, the EIB Group signed €100 billion in new financing and advisory services for over 870 high-impact projects under eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, territorial cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, strong global partnerships and the savings and investments union. Beyond long-term loans for large infrastructure, the EIB Group crowds in private investment for high-risk innovative projects and businesses, with a growing role in Europe’s markets for venture debt, venture capital, guarantees and securitisations.
Qbuzz provides public transport in the North of the Netherlands in concession Groningen-Drenthe and concession Fryslân. As well as in the center of the country in concession Drechtsteden-Molenlanden-Gorinchem and concession Zuid-Holland Noord. Travelling by bus or train is at the heart of Qbuzz ’activities. With a strong focus on quality, reliability, and sustainability, Qbuzz strives to provide a comfortable and enjoyable travel experience for its travelers. In 2025, Qbuzz employees brought more than 112 million passengers to their destinations. Its passengers rated Qbuzz efforts in 2025 with a score of 7.9 in the independent CROW's public transport customer barometer. Qbuzz is investing in further expansion of emission-free public transport using green electricity and green hydrogen. With the commitment and perseverance of Qbuzz’ employees and Qbuzz’ partners, Qbuzz is working towards a cleaner future. Since 2017, Qbuzz has been fully owned by Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS Group), which is active in public transport in a number of European countries.