Plug-in or pantograph charging? Slow or fast? In the depot or at terminus? Smart charging? What happens as the number of e-buses and power increases? 

Within a fast-evolving landscape, there’s a concept that should be taken for granted: the ‘battle’ of energy transition in public transport will be fought on the infrastructure’s terrain.

Several aspects come into play: depots to be converted, a growing energy demand, the reorganizations of parking lots and depot-based procedures, a careful planning of the routes depending on the location of charging points. 

The way an operator powers an e-bus fleet demands a clear understanding how the city will evolve in the future. 

Developing a future-proof charging strategy is essential for city and public transport operators.

European countries have witnessed the entry in operation of over 3,000 e-buses in 2021 (+50 percent on 2020). E-buses last year accounted for over 20% of the city bus market (21.7, being specific). It means a constant growth compared to the 12% in 2019 and 15% in 2020.

The 2021 share of e-buses is in line with the 22.5% of zero emission buses mandatory in public tenders in Western European countries (as decided upon the EU Clean Vehicle Directive). On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Zero emission bus deployment in the US has been growing 27% in 2021.

A third of the 200,000 buses in European public transport will be zero-emission by 2030, reads a recent report by financial consulting company ING. In that year, according to the firm, zero emission buses will cover two thirds of the new city bus registrations.

OUTLOOK & STRATEGIES | ECONOMICS & INNOVATIONS

• Bruce Warner, Hitachi Energy Transportation Segment Manager
• Wolfgang Reitmeier, VDV Head of Depots, Workshops and Electric Mobility at VDV
• Alexandre McCraw, Hitachi Energy Sales Specialist Emobility
• Stephen Hammer, Project Delivery Director, Brisbane Metro Project
• Damien Garrigue, Bus project manager, Nantes Métropole

“Powering the future of public transport. Charging strategies for bus fleets” is an extra event of the Sustainable Bus Tour 2022.

The webinar, supported by Hitachi Energy, aims to give a contribution to the discussion about how to build a future-proof charging strategy for an electric bus fleet in a moment where upscale of zero emission buses is really, finally, underway.