Upscaling Bus Electrification: The Road to a Zero-Emission Fleet
June 21-27, 2020
Amsterdam, Cologne, and Paris
This study mission is designed to give participants in-depth insights into:
- How to approach transitioning from small-scale pilots to a large electric bus fleet;
- What is required in terms of organizational management, operations, maintenance, training, route structures, depot design, the charging infrastructure, the relationship with utilities, funding and financing models and;
- The latest operating concepts and technological developments in electric vehicle technology, including batteries and alternative options such as hydrogen fuel cells.
Amsterdam Itinerary
The mission will start in Amsterdam, hosted by the Amsterdam Transport Authority, the commissioning and financing authority for bus, streetcar and heavy rail transit as well as road, rail and cycling infrastructure for the greater Amsterdam region, serving 15 municipalities. The Transport Authority has pledged to purchase 100% emissions-free buses by 2025 (tank-to-wheel) and have a 100% carbon neutral (well-to-wheel) transit system by 2030 with exclusively renewable energy. Currently the region has 144 electric buses in operation (20% of the fleet and the largest in Europe) with plans to introduce an additional 150 in 2020. The Transport Authority is piloting plug-ins, opportunity charging and in-motion-charging and is experimenting with alternative forms of financing the bus fleet and charging infrastructure.
Cologne Itinerary
Participants will continue on to Cologne where KVB, the local light rail and bus operator, has been operating 8 electric buses since 2016 on a 4.3 mile route and is aiming to expand its fleet to serve 6 more routes by 2021 and an additional 7 routes by 2022 for a total of 114 electric buses. KVB has built up significant experience with operating in highly congested roads, heavy rain and summer and winter temperatures, viable options for charging infrastructure, depot configurations and creating redundancy of the energy supply.
Paris Itinerary
The study mission will end in Paris where the public transportation operator, RATP, is preparing for the transition of its 4,700 bus fleet to 100% ecologically-friendly by 2025, with a conversion of two-thirds of its depots for electric buses and one-third for biogas. RATP will have 200 electric buses in operation by June 2020. In preparation for the 2025 transition, RATP has conducted a comprehensive program of piloting electric buses in real life operating conditions, experimenting with new technologies, the latest generation of batteries and the interoperability between buses and recharging stations while focusing on enhancing the value of its associated real-estate assets. While in Paris, study mission participants will have the opportunity to visit the 2020 European Mobility Exhibition showcasing the latest technologies and services in public transportation.
Study Mission Information
The registration period for this study mission has closed. Please contact Petra Mollet at pmollet@apta.com for more information.
