Field tests with clean buses receive €10M support

According to GAVE, "the first 'clean' buses should be on the roads in 2009. Four regions will test hybrid buses: Zuid-Holland, Gelderland, Twente and Rotterdam. A fifth trial project will be used to test a more efficient gas engine. Two buses will drive around Eindhoven to test how they run on natural gas/biogas."

Below is an overview of the five projects:

• Transportation company Connexxion will deploy four hybrid Van Hool buses in the cities of Leiden, Alphen aan den Rijn, and Gouda, with the help of the Province of Zuid-Holland.
• In the region of Twente, two hybrid buses will hit the roads through a joint effort of the municipality of Enschede, Connexxion, VDL Bus & Coach, and German partner Vossloh Kiepe.
• A partnership of transportation company Hermes Group, the city region of Eindhoven, VDL Bus & Coach, Nonox Gas Engines BV, and Rolande LNG BV will retrofit two CNG buses with mechatronic valves. Fuel consumption is expected to be reduced.
• The municipality of Apeldoorn, transportation company Veolia, and Arnhem-Nijmegen University have set up a project dubbed "Whispers" in which hybrid buses with self-propelled electrically powered wheels - developed by e-Traction BV - will be put in service.
• Two Mercedes-Benz hybrid buses will be deployed in the Rotterdam city region by local transportation company RET and the Rotterdam Climate Initiative.
  

Stay tuned for updates on the projects.

Sources:

• Ten million euro for clean buses (GAVE)
• 10 miljoen euro voor schone bussen (Regering.nl)