In the introduction to our article “The role of TWG 4 in the eBussed project”, we described the main tasks of each working group. The focus of Thematic Working Group 2 (TWG2) is to examine the technological requirements of the different eBussed partner regions for e-buses and relate them to the context.

Under the word „context” we mean operational, geographical (e.g. topography, climate, urban size), legal and political aspects, and more generally anything that influences the technical requirements. There may also be universal requirements that are not context-dependent. To create European added value, the results of TWGs should be transferable to other European regions.

TWG2 also aims to learn from the experiences of others about the requirements for the procurement of e-buses and charging infrastructure.

As a methodological approach, TWG2, unlike TWG3, discarded the possibility of questionnaire data collection. Data on technology requirements can be obtained from technical specifications, eBussed partner reports and regional stakeholders. In addition, it is recommended to make an inventory of technical characteristics and compare them between partners to find similarities.

In addition to the above, the project partners paid special attention to solutions that were not successful for whatever reason. This is important so that others do not have to make the same mistakes again.

In presenting good practices in TWG2, partners insisted on a factual description, but there was also an opportunity for storytelling. The latter means that good practices and lessons learnt are captured in stories that are easy to read, using storytelling as a tool for knowledge transfer.

The exchange of experience in TWG 2 is supported by 11 good practices. These are:

  • On-duty service to report charging device problems, Turku
  • A notebook in each bus for malfunction reporting, Turku
  • Separately funded research project for e-bus follow-up, Turku
  • Data gathering , Hamburg
  • Depot charging vs. opportunity charging, Hamburg
  • Study by an independent technical expert on the buses proposed by the recommended bidder, Gozo
  • Maintenance agreement and chargers bought from Manufacturer, Gozo
  • Peak shaving, smart charging, V2G charging, Utrecht
  • New e-bus depot with fire-reduction measures, Utrecht
  • Local e-bus transport operated by locally produced, stored and used renewable energy, Pécs
  • Using test e-buses for identifying the right technical requirements for the city of Pécs, Pécs

During the duration of the project, as described in our article “Thematic Working Groups of the eBussed project – TWG 3”, TWG 2 will also be responsible for writing several thematic articles together with the project partners.

The eBussed project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and Hungary.