We recently wrote about testing new hybrid buses which are seen on the streets of Brussels but did you know that Brussels aims to fully electrify its bus fleet by 2030?

The Brussels government has a strategy for the full electrification of the STIB/MIVB bus fleet but the transition will happen gradually. At first, there will be only two test electric bus routes by 2018 with the goal to connect the upper city (Louise area) with the lower part of town (Sablon – Dansaert area). It is expected that different size of buses will be tested in order to identify the ones which are most appropriate for Brussels. For example, a ‘midi-buses’ which are smaller than the standard size are planned to be used in/around the pedestrian zone, connecting two parts of town.

The Brussels region plans to purchase 235 hybrid buses in order to take the 117 most polluting buses off its roads. The Bellona Foundation has also published an article about the electric mobility transition in Brussels and we share the comment by Bellona’s adviser Teodora Serafimova:

“A number of cities across Europe are moving to electrify public transport, showing that electric buses are already available and functioning. While testing some routes is well and good, Brussels doesn’t need to re-invent the wheel and could build on other cities’ progress to deliver quicker, more concrete actions to fully and rapidly embrace this inevitable transition”.

In addition to cost savings for municipalities, the deployment of e-buses will bring important improvements in terms of reducing air pollution in the city and related human health issues.