The future of public transport will be characterised by emission-free drives, and this is also true for the approx. 35,600 public buses operated by member companies of the Association of German Transport Companies.

Purely electric drives and vehicles with a fuel cell are the focus here, because only these fulfil the requirements of the Clean Vehicles Directive for “virtually emission-free drives”.

A basic prerequisite for being able to harness the technological transformation in the right way is knowledge about these drives, their possibilities as well as their limits. Introducing buses with alternative drive systems requires comprehensive and complex planning, especially when it comes to choosing the right type of drive. The guide identifies key planning steps and provides crucial information for decision-making. It is explicitly geared towards those who would like to learn about the topic for the first time.

The new NOW guide “Buses with alternative drives” was developed by Sphera Solutions GmbH and the Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems as part of the accompanying research: “Innovative drives in public road transport”, commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. It is now available for download free of charge. An additional online guide is being prepared with an interactive decision-making tool.

Download guide (PDF, in German)