Irizar Unveils 15-Meter Electric Coach with 500 km Range

Spanish bus manufacturer Irizar has expanded its electric coach lineup with a longer 15-meter variant of its Irizar i3 model, debuting the vehicle at Madrid’s FIAA bus and coach exhibition. The stretched version, built on the company’s Normal Floor platform, is classified as a Class II vehicle and is engineered primarily to boost passenger-carrying capacity for operators running high-demand intercity and regional routes.

According to the manufacturer, the new i3 variant can travel roughly 500 kilometers on a single charge. That figure positions the coach within a competitive range for battery-electric buses of this size, where long-distance duty cycles have historically been one of the toughest challenges for electrification. Longer-range electric coaches matter because they can serve routes that would otherwise require diesel vehicles or en-route charging stops, which complicates scheduling and driver breaks.

The 15-meter length is a notable step for Irizar’s electric portfolio, which previously centered on shorter configurations. Stretching a coach to this size increases the battery pack mass and the structural demands on the chassis, while also raising the number of passengers that can be carried per trip. For fleet operators, that trade-off between range and capacity is often the deciding factor when comparing electric coaches against each other.

Irizar has built a reputation in the European market for electric and hybrid buses, and the i3 family has been central to that push. Presenting the new variant at FIAA gives the brand visibility in front of Spanish and international operators who use the show to evaluate upcoming purchases. Details such as battery chemistry, charging power, and pricing were not fully spelled out in the announcement, leaving some technical questions open for prospective buyers.

Still, the arrival of a 15-meter model with a claimed 500 km range signals that electric coaches are gradually moving beyond short urban routes into more demanding long-distance service. Whether the i3 can win over operators on total cost of ownership will depend on real-world range and charging logistics, but the segment is clearly maturing.