Hyundai Corp. sole bidder for 12.3 billion won Morocco electric bus tender

Hyundai Corp. has emerged as the sole bidder for an eco-friendly public transportation project in Rabat, the capital of Morocco in North Africa, raising the likelihood of winning the contract. Linked to a Korean government official development assistance (ODA) program, the deal is expected to further expand the presence of Korean commercial vehicles in Africa's electrification market.

According to the city of Rabat and other sources on Nov. 9, Hyundai Corp. was the only company to submit a bid for the supply of 20 Korean-made electric buses to Rabat. The project is valued at about 88 million dirhams (approximately 12.3 billion won). It includes the construction of charging infrastructure along with the electric buses.

The tender is part of the "Rabat Eco-Friendly Transportation System Project Centered on Public Transit," jointly promoted by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the city of Rabat. The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in March 2025 to introduce electric buses and improve public transportation awareness. The overall project involves an investment of $13 million (about 18.2 billion won).

KOICA will support the replacement of aging buses with eco-friendly electric buses by 2028. The cooperation model covers vehicle supply, installation of fast chargers, and training of local maintenance personnel.

Morocco is accelerating the electrification of public transportation with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. As the country will co-host the World Cup with Spain and Portugal in 2030, improving transportation infrastructure in major cities is urgent. The Moroccan government plans to purchase a total of 7,000 new buses and is actively increasing the share of eco-friendly buses among them.

Rabat prepared for the transition to electrification by piloting the Mercedes-Benz eCitaro electric bus from Germany in 2022. However, the pilot reportedly did not lead to large-scale vehicle adoption. Since then, the city has been proceeding with procurement procedures to introduce Korean-made electric buses based on KOICA funding.

Korean electric buses are proving their competitiveness in the Moroccan market with actual operating records. In September 2026, Hyundai Motor supplied 15 Elec City electric buses to Marrakech, Morocco, through a KOICA ODA project. Charging infrastructure was built simultaneously with the vehicle deployment.

If the contract is confirmed for Rabat following Marrakech, the distribution of Korean eco-friendly commercial vehicles in major Moroccan cities will further increase. Applying World Bank research standards, the introduction of 15 electric buses reduces carbon dioxide emissions by more than 800 tons annually, so the 20 buses for Rabat could also produce significant environmental improvements.

North African countries are focusing on transforming their fossil fuel-centered public transportation systems to address rapid urbanization and air pollution. Egypt is also expanding electric buses in Cairo by attracting investment from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

The Rabat procurement committee will review the bid documents submitted solely by Hyundai Corp. and decide whether to award the final contract. If the contract is confirmed, the 20 electric buses will be delivered to Morocco according to the designated schedule.

※ This article is an AI translation of the Korean original published by Korea Credit News; it was checked by automated quality guards and published by the English edition desk.