Bogdan Corpration, Czech Cegelec starting joint production of trolleybuses in Czech Republic

Bogdan Corporation, one of the largest players on the Ukrainian automobile market, and Czech company Cegelec are to jointly produce 12-meter low-deck trolleybuses in Ostrava, the Czech Republic, for supply to the European Union.

The director of Automobile Assembly Plant No. 1 of Bogdan Motors, Volodymyr Hunchyk, told Interfax-Ukraine that at present the preparation of trolleybus production facilities in Ostrava has been started following the signing of agreements.

"Today we can declare that the project on the creation of trolleybus production facilities in the Czech Republic is at the final stage, and in early or middle of June an official presentation in the Czech Republic and Ukraine will be held, at which details of the project would be announced," he said.

Hunchyk added that Cegelec is a supplier of driving systems and some elements associated with gearboxes of Bogdan trolleybuses.

"They have production facilities in Ostrava, and in 1.5 years we reached an agreement to start a joint project to produce trolleybuses," he said.

He added that Bogdan would supply trolleybus bodies to the Czech Republic, and Cegelec would install driving systems, assemble the trolleybuses and certify them as the European-made. Their price would be lower than the price of European trolleybuses.

At present, all agreements have been signed, and a pilot trolleybus body has been shipped to the Czech Republic. The first trolleybus has been assembled and being certified.

"This is the first project of Ukraine in the European Union on the production of vehicles," he said.