It is reported that the Bogdan Corporation, one of the largest players on the Ukrainian automobile market and Czech company Cegelec plan to sell at least 100 jointly made trolleybuses in 2010 on the European Union markets.

Production of buses had been started in Ostrava, the Czech Republic.

Mr Serhiy Krasulia the corporation press spokesman said that the plans were announced at the presentation of a first jointly made trolleybus in Ostrava on Thursday. He said that at present the first trolleybus has been certified and y the end of the fourth quarter of 2010 the trolleybuses would take part in tenders in the European Union. It is expected that they would participate in a tender on supply of trolleybuses to the Baltic States.

Mr Krasulia said that this year up to 30 trolleybuses would be sold. He said that the price of the trolleybus was set at EUR 280,000 which is 30% less that similar vehicles exploited in the European Union. The energy recuperation system used in the trolleybus allows them to use 30% less energy and other exploitation expenses were also cut.

A Ukrainian delegation headed by Mr Viktor Tykhonov vice Premier for Regional Policy was at the presentation of the trolleybus. He said the event is important for Ukraine as Bogdan is the first Ukrainian company to enter the European Union transport engineering market.

Mr Krasulia said that Mr Tykhonov promised to promote the realization of similar projects in the future.

Mr Stanislav Kudrnacek CEO of Cegelec Prague, the representative office of the international company Cegelec in the Czech Republic said that Cegelec selected only Bogdan among all Ukrainian vehicle manufacturers, as the corporation has modern technologies that are in line with European standards. The corporation has been cooperating with Cegelec since 2005, and since 2008 it has been installing equipment made by the Czech company on its trolleybuses.

(Sourced from http://www.interfax.com.ua)