Understanding zero-emission bus maintenance

There is a growing understanding from practitioners and cities around the world that the transition from diesel or CNG buses to zero-emission buses is not something that can be implemented by just a single entity, whether that be a public transport authority or private operator. The zero-emission transition is a system change, with a whole new range of actors of skills required to implement this change, whether that be the inclusion of energy utilities, private financiers or new OEMs or re-training existing staff on new forms of technology. The re-training of staff, particularly those who work on bus operations on a daily basis but who aren't involved in decision making, are a group often forgotten or left until a very late stage, despite how important this group is to facilitate the effective deployment and operation.

For this reason the C40 Cities Finance Facility (CFF) organised a virtual training series designed to inform a more technical audience about the key differences between zero-emission buses and the internal combustion engine, before providing an overview of the maintenance requirements. Over 100 attendees the series from Uruguay, Panama, Colombia and Mexico and included public transit authorities, private operators, NGO's, suppliers and vehicle repair companies.

The training series included two 90-minute sessions which focused on key aspects such as:

Understanding zero-emission bus maintenance: Part 1 - Introduction to zero-emission buses