Monday, June 28 – Groningen and Drenthe, the Netherlands

The first day of the study mission will kick-off with an overview of the European and North American state of the art and trends in transitioning to zero-emission fleets.

We will also feature the Public Transport Authority of Groningen and Drenthe in the Netherlands. The Transport Authority has a goal of being 100% emission-free by 2030 and started making the transition to a zero-emission fleet in 2017. 186 of their 360-bus fleet is zero emission, operating in city, BRT and regional service. In making the transition to an all zero-emission fleet, they are experimenting with multiple technology options. They operate 164 battery-electric buses and have deployed both on-route overhead charging and depot-based charging. They are also operating 22 hydrogen fuel cell buses.  The electric power needed for both the battery and fuel cell buses comes from wind energy, and fuel cell buses use green hydrogen.
TIME (all times Eastern) EVENT
11:00 AM – 11:45 AM Opening Session

  • Paul Skoutelas, President and CEO, APTA
  • Lisa Jerram, Director, Bus Programs and Emerging Vehicle Technologies, APTA
  • Arno Kerkhof, Head of Bus Transport Unit, the International Association of Public Transport (UITP)
11:45 AM – 12:00 PM Break
12:00 PM – 12:45 PM

Host Presentations – the Public Transport Authority of Groningen and Drenthe

Presiding Officer

  • Lauren Skiver – CEO/General Manager, SunLine Transit Agency, Thousand Palms, CA

Presentations

  • Wilko Mol – Director, OV Bureau Groningen and Drenthe, the Netherlands
  • Erwin Stoker – Manager, Public Transportation Development, OV Bureau Groningen and Drenthe, the Netherlands
  • Michel van der Mark – Director Market Development, Qbuzz, Public Transport Operator Groningen and Drenthe
12:45 PM – 1:30 PM Live Q&A With Speakers
1:30 PM – 2:00 PM Debrief

Tuesday, June 29 – Paris, France

On day two, we will be visiting with RATP, one of the biggest multimodal transportation operators (65,000 employees in 13 countries, 16 million trips per day). RATP is planning the transition of its 4,800 bus fleet in the Parisian metropolitan area to 100% ecologically-friendly transit by 2025, with a conversion of half of its depots (13 out of 25) for electric buses and half for biogas. Two depots currently have been transformed to serve an all-electric bus fleet, with a total of 200 electric buses in service, exclusively using overnight depot charging, while two depots have been upgraded to a biogas bus fleet, with more than 250 biogas buses.

1100 hybrid buses will be in operation for years to come and most of them would still stay in the fleet after 2025. In preparation for the 2025 transition, RATP 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 charging station suppliers and buses manufacturers.
TIME (all times Eastern) EVENT
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Host Presentations and Virtual Tour – RATP, Public Transportation Operator, Paris, France

Presiding Officer

  • Dorval Carter, President, Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago IL

Presentations

  • Natacha Ferrier, Head of International Relations and Partnerships, RATP Group
  • François Warnier de Wailly, Director of the Bus 2025 Program, Surface Transportation Department, RATP
  • Djothi Ficot, Head of the Center for Electric Energy, Bus 2025 Program, Surface Transportation Department, RATP
  • Arnaud Legrand, CEO, RATP Dev USA
  • Virtual visit to RATP Zero-Emission Bus Program
12:30 PM – 12:45 PM Break
12:45 PM – 1:30 PM Live Q&A With Speakers and additional RATP experts

  • Lionel Gouache, Head of the Works and Energy Transition Agency, RATP Real Estate
  • François Vauxion, Representative for Energy Transition, Bus 2025 Program, Surface Transportation Department, RATP
  • Victor Ganivet, Director of Corentin and Massy bus depots, Surface Transportation Department, RATP
1:30 PM – 2:00 PM Debrief

Wednesday, June 30 – Cologne, Germany

We move on to a visit with KVB, the light rail and bus operator in Cologne, Germany. They have been operating 8 electric buses since 2016 and aim to expand their fleet to serve 6 more routes this year 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.

KVB will provide a virtual tour of its North Depot where both electric and diesel buses are serviced, will discuss construction of a new electric-only depot, and review its consideration of hydrogen fuel cell buses. The VDV will provide an introduction to the principles and goals of the German government’s climate policy in connection with the development of mobility in Germany and public transport in particular.
TIME (all times Eastern) EVENT
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Host Presentations and Virtual Tour – VDV, the German Public Transportation Association and KVB, Public Transport Operator for Cologne, Germany

Presiding Officer

  • Debra Johnson, General Manager and CEO, Regional Transportation District, Denver, CO

Welcome address and presentation of the KVB

  • Stefanie Haaks, CEO of the KVB, Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe AG (KVB)

The German development in the emission-free bus operation

  • Martin Schmitz, Chief Technology Officer, Verband Deutscher Verkehrsbetriebe e.v. (VDV)

The new generation of buses at KVB – technology and operation

  • Dervis Mujagic, Project manager E-Buses, Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe AG (KVB)

Electric Buses in Cologne – Changing the total bus system

  • Jörn Schwarze, Chief Technology Officer, Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe AG (KVB)

A KVB Virtual Tour

  • The maintenance facilities at the depot Nord, charging infrastructure at the terminus / bus stations and the depot
12:30 PM – 12:45 PM Break
12:45 PM – 1:30 PM Live Q&A With Speakers
1:30 PM – 2:00 PM Debrief

Thursday, July 1 – London, United Kingdom

On the final day of the study mission, we will be spending time with Transport for London (TfL). TfL currently has over 450 electric buses in operation, one of the largest electric vehicle fleets in Europe, with a total fleet size in excess of 9,000. The current target is for the entire fleet to be zero emission by 2037, through a combination of electric and hydrogen powered vehicles. However TfL are exploring initiatives to bring this date forward to 2030 to help deliver greater air quality benefits for London.

Some of these initiatives include supporting their bus operators to upgrade their garage charging infrastructure to accelerate the rate at which electric buses can be brought into the fleet. TfL are also investigating the role of opportunity charging for longer bus routes, where conventional big battery electric buses are unable to fulfil the distance with overnight charging alone. TfL are also taking part in the EU JIVE project to trial 20 Hydrogen powered double deck vehicles in London to identify their strengths and limitations, and what role hydrogen can play in delivering a zero-emission fleet in London.
TIME (all times Eastern) EVENT
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Host Presentations and Virtual Tour – Transport for London, London, UK

Presiding Officer

  • Jeannie Kwon, SVP, Chief Administrative Officer, NJ Transit, Newark, NJ

Presentations

  • Theo Haughton, Head of Bus Electrification Strategy, Transport for London
  • Tom Cunnington, Head of Buses Business Development, Transport for London
12:00 PM – 12:30 PM Live Q&A With Speakers
12:30 PM – 12:45 PM Break
12:45 PM – 1:30 PM Closing Session and Debrief
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