Advanced bus concepts for increased efficiency

Specific challenge: The challenge is to increase the modal share of public passenger transport, in particular by bus, and also promote co-modality. In addition, the economic situation today is highlighting the importance to study solutions for all segments of the urban bus market, capable to improve the attractiveness through innovative solutions for increased efficiency of the system. In particular energy consumption of auxiliaries in a bus represents a significant part of the overall consumption, heavily impacting energy efficiency performances.

Scope: Key innovative solutions should be developed and tested in real operational scenarios with the joint collaboration of industries and authorities/operators, adopting a system approach. This will entail research and demonstration activities for the vehicle and its interfaces with the transport system addressing all aspects below:

      Testing of strategies for energy and thermal management of buses, in particular auxiliaries such as climate systems for electrified vehicles lacking engine waste heat while excluding powertrain development. Such strategies should be based on real driving measurements of the contribution of auxiliaries to emissions in buses.

      Specific drive assistance technologies, to encourage a driving style aiming at improving both fuel consumption and passenger comfort.

      New solutions for the exterior and interior design and layout of buses (seating, passenger boarding/alighting, modularity and capacity, etc.

      Tools and applications for the efficient introduction of IT standards in an existing bus operation scenario, in particular for what concerns the co-existence of different IT solutions in the same fleet.

      Interface with the system: intelligent garage/maintenance of bus fleets (e.g. IT standard solutions for predictive maintenance); infrastructure (e.g. management of road space, bus stops and urban elements to work as an optimised interface with the bus).

A strong involvement of the supply chain, in particular SMEs, is highly suitable.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 8 to 10 million each would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Expected impact: Improvement of public transport in Europe through more attractive buses that contribute to strengthen the leading role of European industries in the sector, in particular through the development of standard components by the bus manufacturers and by the demonstration of at least a 30% reduction of energy needed for climate control while complying with Real Driving Emissions limits set by the established Euro VI procedures.

Type of action: Innovation Actions