Skip to main content

UK organisations participate in EU green urban transport project

The UK’s Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), along with partners Transport and Travel Research (TTR) and several other leading UK organisations, are taking part in a 42-month innovative demonstration project which is investigating zero emission urban bus systems. The project, known as ZeEUS, is being co-ordinated by the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) and is co-funded by the DG Mobility and Transport of the European Commission with a budget of US$31 million (US$18.6 million EU fun
April 1, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
The UK’s Transport Research Laboratory (491 TRL), along with partners Transport and Travel Research (TTR) and several other leading UK organisations, are taking part in a 42-month innovative demonstration project which is investigating zero emission urban bus systems.  

The project, known as ZeEUS, is being co-ordinated by the 3833 International Association of Public Transport (UITP) and is co-funded by the DG Mobility and Transport of the 1690 European Commission with a budget of US$31 million (US$18.6 million EU funded).

The project aims to facilitate the widespread introduction of electrified bus systems in Europe by demonstrating a number of different technological solutions for electric buses. These will operate as part of regular bus services in eight European cities, including Glasgow and London.  Subsequent analysis of the results will lead to the development of guidelines and tools to assist with the implementation of such systems.  Leading manufacturers in bus electrification are participating and will be providing plug-in hybrids or full electric buses. These will use different charging infrastructure and strategies for ensuring the buses are able to cope with the demands of the operational routes.

TRL is leading the evaluation for both of the UK demonstration sites. In London this is being established and led by 1466 Transport for London and in Glasgow by 2050 Strathclyde Partnership for Transport. However, TRL has a wider role to play across the project as a whole, helping to define the demonstration key performance indicators and in developing the trial methodologies for data collection and evaluation.

The electric buses being deployed in the UK will have a particularly unique element as they will be the only demonstrators in ZeEUS that will use wireless charging. Buses will be charged opportunistically during the day, which will allow them to complete routes that would otherwise be too demanding for regular electric buses.

In all, TRL and TTR are working on nine tasks associated with this project:  other areas include the assessment of regulatory and funding instruments for the procurement of electric buses; the grid effects on electrified bus systems; business cases related to bus depot operation; smart control of electric bus fleets and process evaluation.

Related Content

  • November 23, 2017
    Autumn budget: EV charging infrastructure fund and higher tax rates for diesel vehicles
    Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond has announced a £400m ($532m) charging infrastructure fund for electric vehicles (EVs), an extra £100m ($133m) investment in Plug-In-Car Grant, and a £40m ($53m) in charging R&D in the UK’s Autumn Budget 2017. He added that laws need to be clarified so that motorists who charge their EVs at work will not face a benefit-in-kind charge from next year.
  • April 16, 2020
    Hyperloop: from sci-fi to transport policy
    The future is here. While it has long looked like something from a sci-fi movie, Graham Anderson investigates a technology whose time might have come.
  • April 3, 2019
    EC and EIB establish CEF transport blending facility
    The European Commission (EC) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) are launching a CEF transport blending facility, a funding instrument to support projects contributing to environmental sustainability and transport efficiency. With an initial budget of €200 million from the EU budget, the CEF (Connecting Europe Facility) will finance investments in the European Railway Traffic Management System and alternative fuels infrastructure. It will utilise funds from the EIB, National Promotional Banks and the p
  • December 18, 2015
    Profitable niches in the electric vehicles market
    Vehicles are electrifying at a breakneck speed and they are being completely reinvented with developments in many components and systems, according to a report by IDTechEx Research. Disruptive change and significant technological innovation is now being seen across all forms of electric vehicles for land, water and air. The fruits of all this are spectacular – from the vehicles themselves to over US$500 billion market opportunity that will be created by 2026. IDTechEx Research analyses and forecasts eve