Helsinki Region Transport

35th General meeting European Metropolitan Transport Authorities

Oslo, 20-22 May 2015

Suvi Rihtniemi

Paving the way for electric buses:The innovative HSL approach

HSL’s strategy

• HSL’s strategy for 2025 emphasizes:

Smooth journeys

User-friendly services

Increasing the share of public transport

Emission reductions

• In the case of buses, HSL strives for a 90 % reduction in carbon dioxide and harmful local (namely NOx and PM) emissions by 2025 (reference year 2010)

A combination of electric buses and high quality sustainable biofuels

will be needed

HSL’s – fleet strategy 2025

Estimated effect on emissions by 2025 (compared to 2010): reduction of NOx (-92%), PM (-95%), CO2 (-90%)• For conventional buses, biofuels are phased in and constitute 100% from 2020 onwards

Characteristics of diesel buses

• Very autonomous and flexible

Range typically more than 1000 km

• No special infrastructure requirements

• Transferable

• Simple in tendering and operation

Characteristics of electric buses

• A systemic issue rather than a vehicle technology issue

• Limited range and not suitable for all services

• Require a special infrastructure

Charging systems are not yet standardized (cable, pantograph, inductive…)

Charging has to be taken into account in building terminals

Who will be responsible for the infrastructure?

• Not necessarily transferable

• A big challenge both for operators and those responsible for public transport procurement

Why are electric buses attractive?

• City buses are the ideal case for e-mobility:

Fixed route length

Fixed schedule

• High utilisation rate

Low energy cost

Possibility for profitability

• No local emissions

• Quiet

• High passenger comfort

• Multimodality potential (rail, tram)

Metropolitan Helsinki eBus and eBusSystem projects

eBus project

• eBus performance: field study and laboratory research• Electric bus test line 11 Tapiola-Friisilänaukio• Simulating feeder service• Four commercial eBuses in operation• Vehicle technology analysis

o Full-size VTT-owned electric bus prototype

as a development platform

• Battery laboratoryo climatic chambers for components

• Simulation tools• Challenging weather conditions

• Part of the national EV programme by Tekes,the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation

Innovative procurement

• Normally Helsinki Region Transport (HSL), the public transport authority (PTA) procures public transport services, not vehicles

• However, HSL realised that electric buses are a challenge for the bus operators

• HSL took the decision to purchase 12 electric buses, and lend them to the bus operators

• Thereby the PTA takes the financial and technical risks for the first real electric bus fleet

• The 12 electric buses are ”extra” vehicles, so possible problems will not affect the service level of the bus system

• The 12 buses also serve as a ”Living Lab” test platform for the development of new mobility services

Steps into electrifying the bus system

”Vehicles”

(eBus)

”System”

(eBusSystem

eCharge)

Pre-commercial pilot (ePELI)

Commercial electric bus operation

• Components• Vehicular

technology• Single vehicles

• Systemic view• Charging technology• Operation concepts• A few vehicles

• Innovation platform• Pre-commercial pilot

with operators• Small fleet & charging

infrastructure• Building the

(business) ecosystem

• Normal commercial procurement

• Value chains and service providers established

• Several bus operators active• Charging infrastructure

available

HRT timeline: 2012 2014 2015 2017

The ePELI buses will be supplied by Linkker

• Linkker is a new Finnish e-bus manufacturer, a spin-off of VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland

• The light-weight buses will be equipped with opportunity charging

http://www.linkkerbus.com/

Summary

• HSL is highly committed to good service with low environmental impact

• HSL sees a growing penetration for electric buses

• However, at the early stage of development, electric buses are a challenge to the fleet operators

• In the case of electric buses, HSL decided to change modus operandi and acquire a test fleet of 12 fully electric buses

• The buses will be handed to fleet operators, to increase their knowledge of electric buses and to increase their capability to offer electric bus services in oncoming tendering processes

• HSL hereby carries its part of the risk in introducing new technology

Thank you for your attention