Framework launched for high‑power bus charging networks
A new framework for high‑power bus charging signals deeper investment in public transport electrification and complex EV infrastructure across Europe.
A new framework for high‑power bus charging signals deeper investment in public transport electrification and complex EV infrastructure across Europe.
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Published on 18th November 2025, a new contract notice from the National Transport Authority sets out plans for a wide‑ranging framework to deliver high‑power charging infrastructure for battery‑electric buses, covering everything from design to long‑term maintenance and essential electrical distribution upgrades.
The National Transport Authority’s Electric Bus Charging Infrastructure Framework aims to put in place a single structure for delivering and looking after the high‑power systems needed to run battery‑electric bus fleets.
The notice states that the framework will cover the full chain of activities required to bring charging assets into service and keep them operational. In particular, the agreement is intended to span:
By explicitly including electrical distribution upgrades, the authority is signalling that work will not be limited to the chargers themselves. Strengthening on‑site or local electrical systems is often essential where bus depots or charging locations were not originally built for high electrical loads, and the notice makes clear that these upstream elements form part of the scope.
The inclusion of maintenance alongside design and construction also points towards a long‑term relationship with whichever supplier or suppliers are appointed. Rather than separating build and upkeep into different procurements, the authority is seeking a single framework under which assets can be delivered, tested, commissioned and then supported over time.
The National Transport Authority’s approach mirrors a wider move across the public sector to use framework agreements to manage the complexity of electric vehicle infrastructure.
In August 2025, Leicestershire County Council, trading as ESPO, published a Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Solutions notice for a national framework covering ultra‑low and zero emission vehicles. That agreement is designed to provide a route to market for the supply and installation of a range of charging points and related services, showing how frameworks are being used to bundle equipment and services for different vehicle types.
Also in August 2025, a major framework from the Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr set out requirements for a full‑service provider to handle the planning, construction, operation and electricity supply of charging infrastructure across seven regional lots, under the Charging Infrastructure Framework Agreement. Here, operation and energy supply sit alongside construction in a single contracting structure, underlining the trend towards end‑to‑end arrangements.
Frameworks are also being used to lock in digital integration and after‑sales support. In September 2025, CPI eMobility, a.s. launched framework agreements for AC and DC charging stations that explicitly include connection to the client’s back‑end systems and a five‑year warranty, with call‑offs aligned to evolving needs and competition renewal mechanisms.
Housing provider Partenord Habitat has gone a similar route. Its September 2025 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Agreement covers the supply, installation, operation and maintenance of charging points, with options for renewal and an anticipated start in January 2026. This underlines the appeal of frameworks for assets that need to be rolled out progressively and then supported for many years.
Municipal and regional authorities are also using frameworks to knit together physical infrastructure with IT and operational oversight. In June 2025, Trondheim kommune sought a supplier to establish and operate a comprehensive charging system for electric vehicles, including various charger types, connection of existing assets and a back‑end system for monitoring and support. Later that same month, Københavns Kommune issued a tender for the installation, operation and maintenance of publicly accessible charging stations on municipal roads, with an emphasis on compliance with the AFI Act and a competitive evaluation based on price and quality.
The National Transport Authority’s framework fits squarely within this pattern. It is not described as a simple equipment purchase but as a broad agreement spanning design, supply, installation, testing, commissioning, maintenance and the electrical distribution work that makes the whole system viable.
Where this latest framework stands out is its specific focus on battery‑electric buses. Across recent tenders, public bodies are increasingly treating heavy vehicle charging as a distinct segment of the wider EV infrastructure market.
In October 2025, Transdev GmbH published a notice for the supply of charging infrastructure for electric buses, while in August 2025 PROMET d.o.o. went to market for turnkey construction of charging infrastructure for electric city buses, including project‑technical documentation. Both underline that operators and authorities are now commissioning bespoke solutions tailored to bus operations.
In June 2025, Transports publics fribourgeois Trafic (TPF TRAFIC) SA sought to acquire and maintain electric charging equipment for buses to support decarbonisation of its fleet, explicitly referencing the growing need for heavy vehicle charging and compliance with technical, environmental and social standards. The same month, KViP – Kreisverkehrsgesellschaft in Pinneberg mbH – tendered for 27 DC charging points for battery‑electric buses, including depot boxes, electrical connections and system management components.
Some authorities are choosing to procure buses and charging infrastructure together. In May 2025, MOIN Mobility Infrastructure and Operations GmbH issued a framework for the supply of electric buses and charging infrastructure to enhance public transport electrification in the district of Lüneburg. In September 2025, Società Unica Abruzzese di Trasporto TUA S.p.A. followed a similar model with a framework for 40 full‑electric buses and associated depot charging infrastructure, including design, construction and maintenance at a specific depot.
Other buyers are taking a staged approach. In July 2025, Miasto Białystok tendered for the supply of 60 electric city buses and 15 charging stations, including training for staff and warranties for vehicles and equipment. Later that month, Dublin Bus / Bus Atha Cliath set up a Civils Framework 2025 for works linked to electric bus charging infrastructure, split into three lots and allowing both single‑party awards and mini‑competitions depending on project requirements.
Alongside these, bus procurement frameworks increasingly reference charging capabilities. In October 2025, Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe AG planned to buy up to 45 electric buses together with the necessary charging infrastructure under an Electric Buses Procurement framework, while in the same month the Centrale d'Achat du Transport Public launched a framework for the acquisition of new electric buses with both slow and fast charging options.
Seen against this backdrop, the National Transport Authority’s decision to concentrate a framework specifically on high‑power charging infrastructure and electrical distribution upgrades reflects a clear recognition that infrastructure is as central to fleet electrification as the vehicles themselves.
The recent wave of tenders also shows public buyers thinking beyond physical chargers to electricity supply and wider network electrification.
In November 2025, Municipia, Empresa de Cartografia e Sistemas de Informação, S.A. issued a framework for supplying electricity to public charging stations for electric mobility. Similar themes appear in a September 2025 framework from the Infrastructure and Services Directorate in Bistrița for the supply of low‑voltage electricity over 42 months, and in the Generalitat de Catalunya’s September 2025 framework for fuel and electricity, which includes electricity for public vehicle charging.
At the same time, rail operators are investing in electrification. In June 2025, Iarnród Éireann‑Irish Rail sought a single supplier for a Design and Build Electrification Contractor to support the DART+ programme and provide a sustainable electrified rail fleet. In May 2025, České dráhy, a.s. launched a framework for the supply of low‑floor electric units for regional transport, including permits, technical documentation and spare parts.
Together with the bus‑focused charging and vehicle procurements, these rail electrification projects point to a broader shift in public transport investment towards electric fleets and the infrastructure that underpins them.
The National Transport Authority’s notice offers only a concise outline of the planned framework. It sets out the activities to be covered – design, supply, installation, testing, commissioning, maintenance and electrical distribution upgrades – but does not indicate scale, number of sites or overall value.
Further documentation will show how the framework is structured in practice: whether it is divided into lots or technologies, how high‑power charging is specified for different operational needs, and how maintenance obligations are defined over time. It will also become clearer how this framework interacts with other initiatives, such as the civil works framework for electric bus charging infrastructure established by Dublin Bus / Bus Atha Cliath in July 2025.
For suppliers, the emerging picture across Europe is that public buyers expect integrated offers that can span design, construction, software integration, electricity supply and long‑term maintenance, particularly for heavy vehicle fleets. How the National Transport Authority shapes and then uses its new framework will be a key indicator of how quickly large‑scale bus electrification can move from planning to daily operation.
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