Busworld Europe 2019 Making A ‘Clean' Slate

The world’s largest specialist exhibition on buses, the prophecy of Busworld Europe extends far beyond prognosticating the future technological and market trends of the global bus industry, but also influencing them towards a better future. Dhiyanesh Ravichandran reports that the latest edition of the expo saw scores of bus makers and suppliers worldwide presenting their products and ideas, with clear foci on clean energy and sophisticated tech-features that mark a refreshingly ‘new’ and ‘clean’ start for the industry towards a new era.

The 25th edition of Busworld was held for the first time at Brussels, relocating from Kortrijk that had become far too cramped for the ever-increasing popularity of the expo, symbolically reflecting a refreshingly new era the global bus industry has embarked on. Not just the quest for lowering vehicle emissions and bringing new and advanced technologies on board, the new era is also defined by its sheer expansion, by fetching in myriad technology partners, suppliers, and even electric bus manufacturers who were previously aloof with the bus industry. The emergence of electronics and connected systems and electric driveline systems within the bus architecture are the primary fulcrum for all these newcomers to integrate into the industry. Not to mention the integration of global markets and fashionable product segments that are also transforming the bus industry.

This was quite evident at the 2019 Busworld Europe, the sheer number of innovative ‘clean’ vehicles – necessarily ‘emission-free’ or ‘efficiency-optimising’ solutions for buses – and advanced in-cabin electronics and safety systems that were on display was simply mind-boggling. Electrically powered buses were large in numbers, as did modular system suppliers and innovative technology solution providers fitting themselves into the e-bus ecosystem. Apart from battery-electric vehicles, fuel cell buses powered by hydrogen fuel, electric-hybrids, and trolley or tram buses were also presented for sustainable bus transportation.