A new electric bus service introduced in Gothenburg this summer represents a significant step towards a more sustainable future for public transport.
Launched in June, ElectriCity is part of an ongoing public transport collaboration between some of Sweden’s most forward-thinking organisations.
The project is attracting environmentally conscious citizens to public transport with vehicles, developed by Volvo Buses, running on electricity obtained from wind power and hydro power. This results in an 80% increase in energy-efficiency compared to diesel busses, as well as a vastly lowered carbon footprint.
ElectriCity also aims to appeal to tech-savvy passengers, offering free access to on-board Wi-Fi and power sockets for charging laptops and smart devices so that students and business commuters can make the most of their journey time.
Håkan Karlsson, of the Volvo Group executive management team, labelled the project “a truly unique achievement.
“In an exceptionally short time we developed a complete, integrated bus route for electrically powered public transport”.
Chalmers CEO Karin Markides described ElectriCity as a “lever to catapult us into the future.”
Passengers, like Daniel Simonson and Mathias Olsson, have been equally enthusiastic: “all buses operating in the city should be electric. That’s something that it is worth paying extra for.”
