Summary - Clean Buses in APAC 2024

Clean fuel buses, especially electric and hydrogen buses, are being deployed in cities in the Asia Pacific region with a sense of urgency. Along with deploying zero-emission buses (ZEBs) for public transport, city/local governments and transport authorities are also aiming to decarbonise rail systems, taxis, water-based transport and school buses.

In ASEAN, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia are at the forefront of this deployment, with each country committing to completely transition away from diesel buses in the next few decades. In Singapore, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has committed to electrifying half of its public bus fleet by 2030. In Malaysia, concrete plans have been put in place to introduce nearly 2,000 clean public buses by 2030. In Thailand, firm plans have been announced to replace over 4,400 ICE buses with e-buses by 2027. The government of Indonesia has a bold target to electrify all public transit buses by 2030, with TransJakarta planning to have around 10,000 clean buses in its fleet by 2030.

India recently approved a USD7 billion programme to deploy more than 10,000 electric buses in nearly 170 cities over the next 10 years, along with charging and associated infrastructure facilities. The country’s overall plan is to deploy 50,000 buses at an investment of USD12 billion. In other parts of South Asia, deployment of electric buses has begun in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

In East Asia, China continues to lead the deployment of electric buses worldwide. Japan, South Korea and Taiwan have also embarked on the ZEB deployment journey.

Important developments have also taken place in Australia and New Zealand in 2023. Australia’s largest electric bus depot opened up in New South Wales and the state government also approved AUD3 billion for a new fleet of ZEBs and charging infrastructure. It is estimated that 2,000 electric buses will be operating in Australia by 2030. In New Zealand, Auckland Transport became the largest e-bus operator in the country in September 2023 with a fleet of 133 buses.

As countries and cities unveil bold plans for deployment of ZEBs, there are lingering issues that need to be dealt with. Public transport authorities (PTAs) and PTOs continue to face challenges relating to decisions regarding the ideal fuel mix, drafting of a strategy for the deployment of ZEBs, procuring and financing, setting up infrastructure, understanding total cost of ownership in a rapidly changing technology environment, and so on. Further, technological challenges have continued to impact the performance of ZEBs. These relate to power consumption, energy storage capacity, range, energy efficiency, high grid emissions, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

Despite the challenges, the industry is continuing to make efforts to step up supply, improve technology, spread awareness and provide training. These initiatives coupled with the governments’ clear vision to transition to a clean fleet are expected to lead to a significant growth in ZEB deployment in APAC.

To better understand the current status, opportunities and issues in the deployment of clean buses in the region, Global Mass Transit is hosting its fourth conference on Clean Buses in APAC on March 20-21, 2024 at Four Points by Sheraton, Singapore.

The mission of the conference is to discuss key initiatives in deployment of electric and hydrogen buses in APAC, plans, policies, programmes and funding to transition to a clean and zero-emission bus (ZEB) fleet, opportunities in deployment of electric and hydrogen buses and related infrastructure, the way forward for public transport authorities and public transport operators (PTOs), best practices in transitioning to a ZEB fleet, experience so far and the lessons learned. The conference will also showcase new technologies, tools and solutions.

The conference will bring together federal governments, state and local government officials, public transport authorities, operators, OEMs, bus manufacturers, suppliers of bus components, technology providers, energy providers, charging solution suppliers and battery manufacturers, hydrogen-fuelling infrastructure providers, funding agencies, multilateral development banks, consultants, researchers and academicians. It will cover a range of zero-emission buses and solutions.

The conference will have targeted presentations, panel discussions and case studies, with participation from a wide range of international experts, who will provide valuable insights and actionable advice. The agenda will cover the plans of cities for deploying clean and zero-emission buses in APAC. It will also highlight the latest technological developments and solutions to improve the customer experience.

The conference will, moreover, help understand the role governments, public transport authorities, transport operators, manufacturers, and consultants can play in deploying clean fuel buses in a city or region. Additionally, it will provide insights into the offerings of leading manufacturers and suppliers.

There will also be a dedicated session on the experience of leading cities in the deployment of zero-emission buses. This will provide an opportunity to learn how to deploy clean buses and charging/fuelling infrastructure, mobilise funding, and manage stakeholder expectations.

Emerging trends and market outlook for zero-emission buses (ZEBs) including electric and hydrogen buses in APAC
Current policies and standards for clean buses, electric buses, hydrogen buses
Major programmes involving the testing and deployment of clean buses in APAC
Case studies and experiences from different cities
Total cost of ownership (TCO) of zero-emission buses
Best practices in the deployment of electric buses and hydrogen-fuelled buses
Key legal, organisational, technical, operational and financial issues in the adoption of ZEBs
Funding and procurement strategies in the deployment of ZEBs
Public procurements versus joint procurements
Clean buses for long-distance operations
Business models, risk sharing mechanisms
Electric bus charging infrastructure: Innovations, new technologies and infrastructure for large-scale fleet
OEM perspective on hydrogen: Launching new technologies, reducing costs, improving efficiency and commercialising hydrogen
Impact of electric bus deployment on the power grid
Planning for, scheduling of and monitoring ZEBs, fleet management
Operations and maintenance of ZEBs
Collaborations in the bus market
Autonomous and electric bus experiments
New technologies and innovations in ZEBs

Fourth Conference on

Clean Buses in APAC

Deployment of Electric and Hydrogen Buses and Infrastructure