The city of Gothenburg in Sweden is getting ready to ride into the future with a cutting-edge bus service system whose proponents hope will blaze a new trail in urban mobility. Part of a project called ElectricCity, which is slated for a 2015 launch, the electric bus will be fueled by electricity generated from renewable sources. The buses themselves will be energy-efficient, near silent and will not emit any greenhouse gases. Plans for the system also include an indoor bus stop.
“This represents an entirely new mode of travel and will allow for the public-transport system to contribute to a more pleasant urban environment. A silent and emissions-free public-transport system will enable the inclusion of locations in the city that are currently off limits,” says Olof Persson, Volvo’s president and CEO.
The project is a partnership between several entities, including the Swedish Energy Agency, the City of Gothenburg, Västtrafik, Lindholmen Science Park and Johanneberg Science Park. Besides the electric buses, the cooperation will look into various aspects of urban mobility, including safety, energy and routing, to name but a few. From 2015, the buses will run between Johanneberg Science Park and Lindholmen Science Park in Hisingen.
This is not the first time Volvo tries out a clean fuel bus in Gothenburg. In 2009 the company field tested its 7700 model in a collaboration with the the Göteborgs Spårvägar transit company.
Source: Volvo
