Luleå’s climate investment in electric buses has become a gigantic and costly fiasco for the city’s taxpayers. But when Samnytt tries to reach the responsible officials, they refuse to answer questions. They only give “exclusive” interviews to the local social democratic newspaper.

57 million SEK for five new electric buses. This decision was made in 2018 when Luleå decided to invest in new “climate-smart” vehicles for its public transport system, Luleå lokaltrafik (LLT).

The five electric buses from the Finnish company Linkker are put into service on line 6, which runs through the central parts of the city. A charging station is built at each terminal. The idea is that the buses only need a few minutes of charging before they make the next trip.

Problematic Buses

However, serious problems with the new buses are soon discovered. Drivers complain that the steering wheel cannot be adjusted, posing a workplace problem.

Additionally, an electric bus quickly becomes very cold, especially during the winter months. Since it lacks a combustion engine, it also lacks the excess heat normally used to keep drivers and passengers warm.

As a result, a special diesel-powered heater is installed in each electric bus. In 2023, just over 3.5 cubic meters of diesel are used solely to keep the electric buses warm with the help of these heaters.

This is enough diesel to drive a tourist bus from Luleå all the way to Italy and back. Twice.

Taken Out of Service

Eventually, the problems with the buses are so numerous that they are taken out of service and left at LLT’s bus depot. They are now only used as “reinforcement buses” when needed.

– We use them in spring and autumn, but very limited, says LLT’s production manager Ulf Nordin to Samnytt.

Incidentally, it is not only the buses in Luleå that are experiencing problems. The manufacturer Linkker in Finland also has significant financial problems. In February 2020, the company applies for reconstruction. In August 2023, the company’s operations cease, and a few months later, it files for bankruptcy.

Linkker has been operating at a loss since 2015 and has accumulated multimillion-dollar debts.

Refusal to Respond

Samnytt has spoken with LLT’s production manager Ulf Nordin and the innovation and development manager Jonas Johansson. Neither of them wants to answer critical questions about the electric bus initiative.

Ulf Nordin initially asks to call back later on the phone but never does. He later writes in an email that he only agrees to speak with the local social democratic newspaper (Norrländska Socialdemokraten).

“Regarding the interview about electric buses, I have given an exclusive interview to NSD. Therefore, I will not comment in other media about our electric buses,” he writes.

It should be noted that LLT’s political board has a red-green majority. Samnytt has also contacted LLT’s CEO Jonas Vinblad von Walter.