North Macedonia Launches First-Ever Tender for 150 Electric Buses Worth EUR 51 Million

The Ministry of Transport of North Macedonia has launched a public tender for the procurement of electric buses for urban transport, marking the country’s first such purchase. The authorities expect the move to curb air pollution, enhance the quality of public transport services, and reduce long-term operating costs.

North Macedonia is joining regional peers Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which are also advancing electric bus procurement processes. Macedonian officials first announced the initiative in December 2024.

150 Electric Buses and 75 Charging Stations Planned

The ministry has issued a public call for the acquisition of 150 eco-friendly electric buses and 75 charging stations. Under the plan, 100 buses will be allocated to the Skopje, while the remaining 50 will serve other municipalities across the country.

Delivery is structured in three phases. The selected supplier will be required to deliver the first 30 buses and 15 charging stations within six months. An additional 60 buses and 30 stations must be supplied within one year, followed by the final 60 buses and 30 stations within 18 months.

The total value of the procurement is estimated at MKD 3.1 billion (EUR 51 million).

Technical Requirements and Warranty Conditions

According to the tender documentation, each bus must offer a minimum driving range of 325 kilometers on a single charge, in line with the SORT II standard. The required minimum battery capacity is 360 kWh.

The supplier must provide a four-year warranty covering both the buses and their batteries, as well as ensure the availability of spare parts for ten years. Each of the 75 charging stations is required to have a capacity of at least 120 kW per charger.

The deadline for bid submissions is March 30, 2026. The main selection criterion will be price, determined through an electronic auction process.

Strategic Investment in Cleaner and More Efficient Transport

The ministry described the procurement as a clear political commitment to environmental protection and to improving the efficiency of public transport in Skopje and other municipalities.

According to the authorities, the investment sends a strong signal in the fight against air pollution while raising the quality of public transport services. In addition to environmental gains, the ministry emphasized the long-term economic viability of the project, citing lower maintenance and energy costs associated with electric vehicles.

The procurement forms part of a broader strategic plan aimed at transforming the urban transport system and enhancing the overall efficiency of the national transport network.

Regionally, Croatia is in the process of purchasing 206 electric buses for its cities, while Bosnia and Herzegovina is acquiring electric vehicles for Sarajevo.

At the EU level, the shift toward cleaner public transport is accelerating. According to Transport & Environment, 60% of all new city buses registered in the European Union last year were powered by electricity or hydrogen, underlining the pace of decarbonization in the sector.

February 5, 2026

by AEA in News

Croatian cities are purchasing 206 electric buses

Seventeen Croatian cities and municipalities have received EUR 143 million overall for the procurement of 206 electric buses. The total investment is estimated at EUR 163 million.

Croatia’s Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure has signed seven contracts for subsidizing the procurement of electric buses.

The cities of Jastrebarsko, Zaprešić, Sisak, Osijek, Pula, and Zadar, and the Municipality of Pisarovina have been awarded funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) under a public call for the procurement of alternative fuel vehicles for public urban and suburban transport.

The total value of these seven projects, for the procurement of 68 electric buses, amounts to EUR 53.3 million, with EUR 41.9 million provided as subsidies.

The program is worth EUR 163 million

The contracts were signed by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butković, and the Director of the Central Finance and Contracting Agency for European Union programs and projects Dragan Jelić, alongside representatives of public transport operators.

With the signing of these contracts, the program for the modernization and ecological transformation of public urban and suburban transport has been completed, according to the ministry.

The EUR 163 million program enabled the purchase of 206 electric buses for 17 Croatian cities and municipalities, the ministry explained.

Last year, contracts were signed with the cities of Križevci, Krapina, Ludbreg, Varaždin, Dubrovnik, Zagreb, Rijeka, and Split. All the local authorities also received subsidies for the construction of charging infrastructure.

Minimum range is 300 kilometers

Zadar-based transport operator Liburnija should receive its buses by August 31, according to CEO Slobodan Erslan. The vehicles will have a minimum range of 300 kilometers, he added.

Mayor of Osijek Ivan Radić said that the city will procure 19 vehicles, which should be delivered in November. Rijeka is receiving 20 buses, while Sisak, which currently operates 42 buses in its public transport fleet, is purchasing twelve electric ones.

Butković: Bus deliveries to follow very soon

Photo: Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure

The projects represent a strategic transition for public transport by switching to electric and alternative, the ministry said. The goals are to reduce CO2 emissions, increase energy efficiency, and align with European standards for sustainable mobility, while providing safer traffic and higher-quality public services for citizens.

Minister Butković pointed out that the transition from modern diesel vehicles to alternative powertrains was a logical continuation of previous investments. Croatia is following the current European trends, he stressed.

Butković expects that bus deliveries will follow very soon.

Dragan Jelić, Director of the Central Finance and Contracting Agency, said that the first bus deliveries are expected shortly in Osijek, Jastrebarsko, Zadar, Pula, Zaprešić, Sisak, and Pisarovina.

Of note, in 2020, the Government of Croatia began subsidizing the purchase of electric buses for urban transport. It is also providing incentives for the construction of necessary infrastructure.