Governments worldwide are ramping up decarbonisation efforts, pursuing these mission-driven goals with increased determination across all sectors, including public transport, which itself is undergoing significant strategic changes.
I reached out to our clients worldwide to understand how they’d approach their energy transition if they had the opportunity to start over. Here are some best practices to help you at every stage of implementing a zero-emission fleet. Consistently, what I heard about was the importance of collaboration.
Cultivate Your Collaborative Network
Based on my experience with transport agencies worldwide, collaboration is the foundation for successfully implemented electric bus projects. Before you begin any operational efforts, it’s essential to identify key stakeholders and collaborators, such as local governments, state and national regulators, technology providers, infrastructure and utility consultants, and even your agency staff.
Building a strong network of both internal and external collaborators is crucial to support you through the evolution – and vastly different stages – of your energy transition project.
Paving the Way to Full-Scale Operations: Start Small and Engage Employees
Our clients first recommendation is to start small and then gradually expand to a full-scale operation. Right from the start, they say it’s crucial to engage employees, as their operational insights are invaluable for identifying scale-up requirements and their collaboration will help pave your way to a smooth, successful energy transition. Getting zero-emission buses on the road will require a shared vision at your agency for your electric bus ecosystem.
As you start to plan, selecting the right routes for initial electric bus testing is vital. It is recommended that the routes selected be of a manageable length and feature a moderate amount of congestion. This type of planning is crucial for scaling up your operations. You should be relying on a vehicle scheduling software with a field-proven optimiser to run various scenarios long before making any purchases of buses.
The scenarios you build in your software will help you assess your needs in terms of service levels, topography, bus specifications, and will foster your understanding of the conditions that affect energy consumption, such as weather and ridership.
By weighting different bus route options, you can minimise your resource-costs while ensuring robust and operable solutions for your riders. A technological partner can be invaluable during this optimisation process, leveraging expertise from other projects to help you scale up and make your operations shine.
As industry experts say, public transport is about people, so it’s important to focus on the quality of your collaborations with the employees at your agency. At every step, collaboration and support from folks at your agency will be a critical success factor for your energy transition.
Planners and schedulers who are familiar with your agency’s unique circumstances play a pivotal role in the smooth and effective deployment of buses. It is also important to invest in proper training for bus drivers, as this will ensure seamless transitions and help them understand driving patterns that influence energy consumption.
Collaboration Keeps you Current
For many agencies, introducing electric buses is uncharted territory. It can require a robust support system to keep your teams well informed about advancements in the industry, as the industry will constantly evolve. Make sure to develop some key communication channels with external stakeholders to ensure you remain plugged into what’s happening, and better manage expectations. Some recommendations include:
- Government contacts: Stay connected with government for financial support opportunities and updates on requirements. Governments may require detailed plans, including cost simulations from both capital and operational perspectives.
- Technology providers: Work with providers committed to advancing their technologies. Staying on top of technological advancements is crucial for tackling public transport challenges and mitigating risks. Some providers, like GIRO, work with public transport agencies around the world, which is an asset they bring to every collaboration. These providers offer expertise and best practices to help transport agencies make informed decisions.
- Infrastructure and utility companies: Engage with these specialists early in the process to identify constraints and opportunities for your operations. There are various thoughts about when to involve these specialists in the process, but early consultations can be vital for planning depots and charging infrastructure.
Given the length of these projects, expertise, capacity building and long-term vision are essential. Leveraging external expertise and fostering a collaborative ecosystem are critical to achieving successful outcomes.
Confidence Lays the Foundation for Scaling-Up
Once you have established a baseline understanding of your energy transition collaborators and the unique circumstances of your operations, you can focus on scaling up operations. The key here is to build confidence through collaboration.
At this point, your agency staff has the experience to advance to the next level, and propagating expertise internally through continuous training and collaboration is key to maintaining your progress. Don’t forget to also maintain close ties with external stakeholders to anticipate and overcome the hurdles of scaling. Collaborating with technology or infrastructure solutions can lead your way forward as you face the planning, coordination and operational challenges of growth.
Want to learn more about GIRO’s proven strategies for efficiently navigate the public transport zero-emissions landscape? Visit our solution page on electric buses or contact us at info@giro.ca and we’ll be in touch.