Electrifying a urban transport fleet is about much more than just choosing battery-powered vehicles. It means designing a charging infrastructure capable of meeting the most demanding operational schedules, 365 days a year. In Sables-d’Olonne, Altens met this challenge alongside the Compagnie de Transport des Olonnes, operator of the Oléane Mobilités network.
A Transport Network Committed to Decarbonization
The Compagnie de Transport des Olonnes, a subsidiary of the Fast Group, operates the Oléane Mobilités network in the Sables-d’Olonne urban area. Its decarbonization policy meets three concrete objectives:
- Reducing the carbon footprint of local public transport.
- Relieving city center congestion by promoting alternative modes of travel to cars.
- Improving residents’ quality of life by reducing noise pollution.
To achieve this, the company now operates 13 electric vehicles, each traveling an average of 4,000 to 5,000 km per month, or nearly 60,000 km per year.
The Electric Fleet: Tramouette, Marinette Shuttles, and TSR
The fleet consists of three categories of complementary services.
The Tramouette: A New Electric Urban Service
Launched in July 2025, the ‘tramouette’ is served by two trains of three Cristal de Lohr electric modules. These modules can run individually or coupled together, similar to an electric tourist train. Each module carries up to 13 passengers free of charge (maximum 39 in full configuration), with a range of approximately 120 kilometers.
Marinette Shuttles: Car-Free Park-and-Ride in the City Center
Six electric buses serve the Marinette lines, allowing residents and visitors to park in a park-and-ride lot and reach the city center for free. The fleet includes four Isuzu NovoCiti Volts and two Bolloré Bluebuses, equipped with 268 kWh batteries.
Transport on Demand (TSR)
An electric minibus completes the system to meet on-demand mobility needs across the territory.
Charging Infrastructures Designed for Real-World Operational Constraints
This is the project’s cornerstone: each line has its own schedule, its own fleet, and therefore its own charging requirements. Alexandre Galvez, Director of the Compagnie de Transport des Olonnes, summarizes it as follows: the summer period is the most critical, with buses running from 8:00 AM to 1:00 AM and a ‘tramouette’ running every 15 minutes from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
For the Tramouette: Six 22 kW Altens Charging Stations
Six 22 kW charging stations were installed to ensure continuous and reliable service, compatible with the service’s daily rotations in all seasons.
For Marinette Shuttles: One 120 kW Dual-Port Charging Station
A 120 kW Altens charging station, equipped with two charging points, powers the two Bluebuses with a capacity of approximately 50 passengers. With 268 kWh batteries, these vehicles must be fully recharged between 1:00 AM and 8:00 AM. The system implemented allows for a full charge in 4 to 5 hours, perfectly compatible with the nighttime availability window.
Turnkey Support, from Study to Maintenance
Altens did not act solely as a charging station supplier. The company supported the Compagnie de Transport des Olonnes at every stage of the project:
- Preliminary study and infrastructure sizing based on the constraints of each line.
- Selection and installation of suitable charging stations.
- Adaptation of the depot’s electrical installation.
- Maintenance monitoring of the infrastructure after commissioning.
“Altens rose to the occasion and did what was necessary to make everything work, particularly for the commissioning of the ‘tramouettes,’ which were the major mobility event in Sables-d’Olonne.” Alexandre Galvez, Director of the Compagnie de Transport des Olonnes.
Low-Carbon Mobility: A Regional Commitment
This project illustrates the conviction shared by Altens and its partners: electric mobility must be accessible, reliable, and designed for real-world conditions. Electrifying a public transport network means concretely improving residents’ daily lives, reducing nuisances, and contributing to the energy transition goals of the Vendée region.
A specialist in low-carbon energy and electric charging infrastructure for transport companies, Altens offers a comprehensive range of services: from the initial audit to operational deployment, including maintenance and monitoring via its MyAltens platform.
Do you operate a fleet of electric vehicles and want to optimize your charging infrastructure? Contact our experts for a personalized study.