(Bloomberg) — Paris public-transit operator RATP said it’s temporarily suspending use of 149 electric buses manufactured by Bollore SA after a second vehicle caught fire on Friday.
There were no casualties from the fire, which broke out around 8 a.m. near the Francois Mitterrand library in Paris, but it’s the second incident of this kind within a month, RATP said in a statement. It said it has asked Bollore for a full assessment of the causes of these incidents.
Vehicles produced by Bollore’s Bluebus unit use lithium metal polymer batteries for power. That type of technology results in batteries that are “completely solid, with no liquid components, no nickel and no cobalt,” according to Bluebus’s website.
Known for investing in logistics and media, billionaire Vincent Bollore also made a big bet on electric vehicles, producing a shared car called Autolib for the city of Paris, which was discontinued in 2018. The family-controlled group still produces electric buses in its factory in western France.
In an emailed statement, Bollore said that its Bluebus unit was actively cooperating with the RATP and relevant authorities in order to determine the causes of the fires.
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