Finalists Announced for the Title of Most Eco-Friendly Bus of 2027

The shortlist of finalists for the prestigious Sustainable Bus Award 2027 has been revealed, featuring 12 buses in the categories of Urban, Intercity, and Coach. The international jury consists of journalists representing European industry media dedicated to public transport. The award ceremony for the Sustainable Bus Award 2027 will take place during the FIAA 2026 exhibition, which will be held from September 22 to 24 in Madrid.

In the Urban category, the finalists for 2027 include Yutong U18, Mercedes-Benz eCitaro NMC4, ready for delivery this year (the new battery is produced in collaboration with Polish BMZ). Also included are Irizar ie bus Efficient, Temsa Avenue Neo (presented at Busworld last year), and Solaris Urbino 18 Hydrogen New Generation, which will be equipped with a new module from Ballard.

In the Intercity category, three models made it to the finals: Mercedes eIntouro, Yutong IC12E, and BYD B12.b HF, with its launch planned for the end of 2025. It is worth noting that this year, for the first time, the entire list in this category consists exclusively of electric buses.

In the Coach category, the shortlist includes VDL Futura 3, presented at Busworld last year, Irizar i6 Efficient Scania PHEV, Marcopolo Paradiso G8 1200, which is set to debut in Europe at the end of 2026, and King Long C12E.

The evaluation process takes into account a range of parameters beyond emissions and energy consumption, including energy efficiency, safety systems, technological innovations, passenger comfort, digitization, recyclability, operational suitability, environmental impact, and compliance with the vehicle's task profile.