The South Transdanubian Regional Innovation Agency (STRIA) is participating in the Interreg Europe project eBussed. Transitioning from a region with public transportation based on diesel buses to a region with e-bus fleets requires ample expertise in different fields. A wide range of themes must be covered in order to initiate and support e-bus development. The project concentrates on the exchange of experience between partner regions at different stages of e-bus operation development, thereby serving regions struggling with this highly technical and fast developing field.
The project supports the transition towards low carbon mobility and more efficient public transport. It promotes the uptake of e-buses in new regions and supports the expansion of existing e-fleets. It facilitates the integration of electricity production based on renewables and low carbon electrified public transport. Through new ideas and better policies, the project promotes both the demand and supply side of electricity from clean renewable sources and the subsequent transitioning towards a low carbon economy.
eBussed will engage regions from all directions with and without practical experience on e-buses. The project will increase capacities and knowledge among its partner regions via a multi-level exchange of experiences and cross-regional pollination of ideas to better support the transition towards fully electrified bus fleets and low carbon mobility.
Thanks to the support of the HUMDA Green Bus Programme, Volánbusz signed a contract on 1 April 2022 for the purchase of 60 electric buses, 12 of which will be Ikarus 120e green buses, which will improve the service quality of Székesfehérvár’s local transport, contributing to the creation of sustainable public transport.
The public transport company took delivery of the last vehicle from the manufacturer Ikarus Group on 13 October, and all the e-buses are now available to passengers in the county seat.
In line with its sustainability objectives, the MÁV-Volán group is gradually greening its bus fleet by purchasing new, alternative-powered, locally low or zero emission vehicles. In 2021, Volánbusz and its consortium partner Mobiliti Volánbusz Kft. submitted successful applications for a total of 100 electric buses and related charging equipment for the Green Bus Programme coordinated by HUMDA Hungarian Automobile-Motorsport and Green Mobility Development Agency Zrt. The first forty vehicles entered service in the capital’s agglomeration this spring, while another sixty e-buses will be delivered to six county seats, and the related charging infrastructure will be built.
In Székesfehérvár, the project has added 12 Ikarus 120e electric buses to the local fleet. The solo, low-floor, two-axle vehicles can carry 30 seated and 55 standing passengers at the same time and can travel up to 300 kilometres on a single charge, depending on weather and road conditions. The air-conditioned buses are equipped with a wheelchair or pushchair space, boarding ramp, electronic passenger information system, on-board and driver assistance camera system and USB charger to ensure a high quality and safe service for passengers.
szekesfehervar.hu (2022) ALL 12 ELECTRIC BUSES IN OPERATION IN SZÉKESFEHÉRVÁR, 2022.10.27.
https://www.szekesfehervar.hu/mind-a-12-elektromos-autobusz-forgalomba-allt-szekesfehervaron
The eBussed project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and Hungary within the Interreg Europe Program