Firefighters work at the scene where a bus caught fire in Paris, France, April 4, 2022. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
Paris public-transit operator RATP has begun a probe into a bus that caught fire in Paris on Monday and that ran on batteries developed by Bollore SE.
"The RATP has launched an investigation into the reasons for the fire, in which we will cooperate fully,” Bollore said in an e-mailed statement on Tuesday.
The vehicle, produced by Bollore unit Bluebus, used 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’ website. The bus featured batteries on its roof and at the back.
Known for investing in logistics and media, 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.
It has not given up on its plan to develop a battery for the broader electric-vehicle market, according to an interview of its CEO last week in the French daily Le Figaro.
No passengers were injured in the fire on Monday and the flames were extinguished about an hour later, according to tweets by the Paris police.
