cities facing the challenge of cleaner buses

Electric buses, hydrogen buses… Will cities be ready to drive “greener” by 2030? A silent bus runs in Lyon (Rhône), the only fully electric line. A change much appreciated by passengers. A woman says: “When I heard it rolling, I knew it was an electric bus.” In three years, 40% of the 1,000 buses in Lyon should go green. An investment amounting to 400 million euros.

A significant investment

In this race against time, Paris has taken the lead. No more diesel or almost, half of the fleet of 4,700 buses is already clean. The 25 depots convert to electric. In 2025, 100% of buses will be green. But driving clean is expensive: a conventional bus costs 250,000 euros, compared to 450,000 euros for an electric bus and 650,000 euros for a hydrogen bus. For the moment, only 36 hydrogen buses are running in France. They are already circulating in Pau (Pyrénées-Atlantiques) and Lens (Pas-de-Calais). They are also being tested in other cities.