Testing the Bus of the Future: A Decade of European Research on Bus Systems

With 30 billion bus users in the European Union every year, equivalent to half of all public transport passengers, the quality and effectiveness of bus services is decisive. Two research projects funded by the European Commission, European Bus System of the Future (EBSF) (2008–2013) and EBSF_2 (2015–2018), aim to develop a new generation of buses by combining new vehicle technologies and infrastructures with operational best practices. The (accomplished) goals of EBSF were to increase the attractiveness of buses by testing innovative vehicles integrated into European urban scenarios. In turn, EBSF_2 is committed to raising the image of the bus through solutions for increased efficiency mainly by improving energy consumption and reducing operational costs. Both projects were conceived as an open platform for dialogue on bus system efficiency, which includes key stakeholders in urban bus services across Europe and considers all areas of expertise (from manufacturing, through operations to research). Key working areas in both projects are more comfortable and accessible bus layouts, advanced maintenance and energy management, interoperable information technology (IT) solutions and eco-driving. All of these rely on demonstrators, i.e. testing the innovative measures on vehicles operating within real urban environments, with performance independently assessed. This paper describes the methodology and the test process adopted for both projects and reports the results achieved to date. It also examines the coming challenges, with the objective of disseminating the results reported in applications beyond the European projects field.