Successful eBus Conference on 23 October in Prague: A milestone for sustainable mobility

The eBus Conference, held on 23 October 2024 at the Clarion Congress Hotel in Prague, was a great success. It brought together experts and enthusiasts from around the world to discuss the future of electric mobility. Organised by trolley:motion and supported by the EU flagship project eBRT2030 and the Interreg project CE4CE, the conference provided a platform to share the latest developments and innovations in electric buses and trolleybuses.

On the previous day, 22 October, the conference included key partner meetings of the CE4CE project, the eBRT2030 Advisory Board meeting and meetings of the UITP Bus- and Trolleybus Committees. These sessions provided a valuable opportunity to discuss progress and challenges in implementing sustainable transport solutions and to develop common strategies.

"It is good that both Committees are getting closer and want to work more closely together on selected topics in the future – we have a common mission," said Dr. Wolfgang Backhaus, President of trolley:motion. Thanks to the initiative of Jan Brachanek, DPP Prague, and the two committee chairmen, Charles Drane and Antonio Garcia Pastor, who have supported the exchange between the committees and set an example! They have built bridges for a greater cause!”

From the discussions, it is clear that we need an ecosystem approach that combines different technologies and charging concepts to achieve the goal in a complementary way. And that means more than just changing the powertrain; it means developing an accessible, affordable and inclusive public transport system. The day’s presentations showed how to work together as a public transport community and what new standards we need to set.

• Opening session: Welcome speeches by Dr Wolfgang Backhaus, President of trolley.motion, and Zdenek Hrib, Deputy Mayor of Prague.
• Panel discussion: Experts discussed the electrification of bus fleets as the backbone of climate neutral cities, moderated by Dr Wolfgang Backhaus, trolley.motion and CEO, Rupprecht Consult.
• eBRT2030 project: Presentations on flagship electrified Bus Rapid Transit projects around the world, including case studies from Mexico and San Francisco. The UITP eBRT2030 project outlined its objectives and progress in expanding Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems in Europe, focusing on advances in electric mobility technologies such as in-motion charging, electric road systems and IoT-enabled vehicle connectivity.
• CE4CE project: The Interreg CE4CE project came to the fore: partners presented how the project promotes circular economy practices in public transport, covering vehicles, infrastructure and energy use. Presentations on trolleybus-systems from a circular economy perspective, with contributions from Stefan Röll (Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe), Leah Lazer (ICLEI, Freiburg) and Marta Woronowicz, trolley:motion.

The conference not only offered in-depth insights into technological innovations, but also into the strategic planning and implementation of sustainable transport systems. Participants had the opportunity to exchange best practices and forge new partnerships.

About CE4CE: The CE4CE project aims to develop modern bus and trolleybus systems that comply with the principles of the circular economy and thus make an important contribution to sustainable urban development. Highlights included innovations in charging infrastructure, digital twins and the integration of circular economy practices driven by EU projects such as Interreg CE4CE and eBRT2030 project.

“We are proud that the eBus:conference in Prague brought together leading public transport companies to discuss the future of electric mobility and sustainable public transport,” said Dr Wolfgang Backhaus.

About UITP: The International Association of Public Transport (UITP) is a global network dedicated to the promotion of sustainable public transport systems.