eBussed article 24: Livorno province readiness for electric bus deployment what has changed

Photo by Michael Dziedzic

Ivo Tartaglia

Province of Livorno

June 2002

Livorno province readiness for electric bus deployment: what has changed?

This project publication reflects the author’s views only and the Interreg Europe programme authorities are not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

Livorno province readiness for electric bus deployment: what has changed?

The eBussed project has identified possible Readiness Indicators (RI) for the introduction of electric buses in each region. This article summarises the changes that occurred in Livorno Province between the beginning of the project and, three years later, upon the completion of Phase 1.

A quick methodological reference Readiness indicators are meant to assist public and private stakeholders in assessing the present conditions of their region regarding the introduction of electric buses and the provision of related infrastructure.

More details on the methodological aspects can be found in Article 11, available in the eBussed project website Library ¹.

As readiness cannot be defined as yes or no, but rather a development in stages, the working group recognized that it would be useful to set some criteria to be fulfilled when establishing the level of readiness. A semaphore-type indication was chosen with three colours indicating:

¹ https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/ebussed/thematic-reports/thematic-articles/

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Writing our future In May 2022, Livorno Province together with the municipalities finalized its eBussed Action Plan aiming to promote electric public transport. It intends to influence the policy instrument called Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) for the Vast Area of Livorno Province coordinated with the Provincial Coordination Territorial Plan (PTCP), as a reference policy on the "green" contents of the provincial energy guidelines.

Therefore, the Action Plan consistent with the Province of Livorno’s zero-emission strategy aims to continue to support the deployment of electric public transport in the provincial territory with two main lines of action: Action 1 promotes the e-bus support initiative, in the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP), which is currently being formulated for the Greater Livorno area in coordination with PTCP that is being updated. The SUMP is an integrated tool of this latter policy. Livorno provincial SUMP is being structured according to the European Guidelines for the compilation of SUMPs, framing the eBussed Action Plan as a Specific Objective of the Vast Area SUMP, i.e., covering the adoption of electric public vehicles for the local public transport. A series of actions are outlined, to which indicators and a timetable are linked, capable of setting up not only quantitative but also temporal objectives. In this way, the eBussed Action Plan becomes, at a strategic level, a part of the Territorial Coordination Plan while, at a more operational level, its Actions are integrated with the SUMP. Action 2 stimulates an innovative, gradual adoption of electric public transport and related infrastructures. It will support actions related to specific regional circumstances, taking advantage of the opportunities offered by PNRR, i.e, the Italian Recovery & Resilience Plan, and other national and regional programmes. Some significant progress has been made since early 2021 to date, which justifies a reassessment of the Readiness status of Livorno Province from early 2020 to match the current situation.

A procurement process in which e-buses are expected to have a significant impact has been implemented gradually. An example is the renewal of the bus fleet in the town of Livorno, as in other Tuscan cities such as Florence and Siena. E-buses also provide shuttle services on islands and in smaller centres: this is the case for Elba and Capraia, but a hamlet like Suvereto was also granted a funding package in June 2022, including an electric minibus to connect it to coastal tourist areas, and photovoltaic charging stations to both destinations end.

E-bus deployment strategies are thus being implemented at different territorial levels, considering: a) the role played by the sole regional road transport company operating since 1 November 2021 in Tuscany (Autolinee Toscane), b) the function of the Local Public Transport in the Vast Area of the provincial territory and, finally, c) interventions at the level of individual local administrative units - sometimes in the associated form. Those interventions, as aforesaid, aim at alleviating conditions of marginality and at fostering a potential comprehensive transport network that will be supported by widespread and customized connections with the rest of the territory.

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Drivers and barriers At the eBussed Final Seminar in Hamburg in May 2002, a representative of Autolinee Toscane gave practical examples of the main drivers and barriers identified in the Tuscany region and Livorno province in particular, concerning e-bus deployment starting from the analytical exercise carried out by the working group coordinated by Livorno province.

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DRIVER (D) is here defined as an element (such as a policy or an action) that can help transit agencies and governments initiate, continue, or expand their fleet of e-buses BARRIER (B) is defined as an obstacle or circumstance that can prevent transit agencies and/or governments from initiating, continuing, or expanding their fleet of e-buses.

More details on the methodological aspects of the D&B analysis can be found in Article 10, available in the eBussed project website Library².

The examples given are as follows.

² https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/ebussed/thematic-reports/thematic-articles/

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Drivers 1. E-bus is great for low commercial speeds because no DPF regeneration is needed. This applies very well to the Lucca historical centre, where the deployment of small electric buses is encouraged. They are suitable to carry people in the historical urban centres, with the consequent transfer of the know-how from a standard 12-meter e-bus to a small 7-meter e-bus.

2. E-buses reduce noise nuisance in a bus depot The low noise impact of e-buses allows to substantially reduce noise disturbances to homes near bus depots. In Italian cities, bus depots are frequently engulfed within the metropolitan area and civil lawsuits from sound pollution are on the rise. The e-bus provides a smart solution to reduce sound pollution in critical areas, thus contributing to the e-bus’s better acceptance by residents.

3. E-buses help reduce noise nuisance in a bus terminal The low noise impact of e-buses allows to substantially reduce noise disturbances to residential buildings near a bus terminal. The e-bus thus contributes to reducing sound pollution in critical areas.

4. Environmental impacts E-buses contribute to reducing fossil fuel consumption and associated spill risk.

5. Reduction of pollutants from e-bus maintenance Autolinee Toscane has estimated that for each e-bus in its lifetime there would be a reduction of 1000 litres of lubricating oil and 60 oil filters versus a diesel bus.

Barriers 1. Battery pack performance, theoretical level confirmed only by the real use of the bus The main risk in an e-bus tendering process is to involve additional costs for changing a battery after 6 years only. This cost is not covered by public capital, therefore it will be a direct risk for the operator (unwanted cost ).

Autolinee Toscane estimates for the year 2025-2026 a required budget of at least EUR 14,000,000 alone, to substitute batteries. To avoid such unwanted costs TE is working on tenders for promoting formulas different from those in the standard tendering process.

2. Battery efficiency will be deteriorated by improper habits of drivers in mismanaging air cooling in summer or heating in winter, thus resulting in an improper utilization of electric appliances: for example interior lighting or ventilation.

3. The market for traction batteries The market for traction batteries of second life is still in its infancy, as the e-bus manufacturers at present are only responsible for battery collection and disposal. In addition, second-life projects concerning LTO batteries require the e-bus to use an opportunity and not an overnight charge (source: Autobus web, April 2022).

4. Service design The theme of the service organization is central because the introduction to the service of e-buses entails: • More bus changes are required during services • Opportunity charging and overnight charging are dependent on the planning structure • Planning a tight schedule is risky in case of delays, breakdowns, and failures • Different bus types cannot always be switched (combi loading and bus) Nowadays there is no developed software yet to arrange bus shifts based on the actual autonomy (battery charge) of electric vehicles. A smart e-service device is needed to plan in real time the use of the most appropriate bus based on the actual charging level. Such need is of utmost felt by those operators who have already purchased a large fleet of e-buses with overnight batteries.

5. Plug-in or plug-out operations Plug-in or plug-out operations are passed on to technical personnel, as drivers are reluctant to carry out such operations because of possible associated recharging errors. This entails more time needed for duplication of roles, possible delays or shift rearrangements, and consequent costs.

6. Outdoor installations In Italy, recharging installation using outdoor columns is not acceptable to personnel unless a canopy cover is provided.

7. Ban on pantograph installations as street new fittings Cities that have rejected trolleybuses or trams in the past, will never accept new installations of pantographs in the historic centre. A classic example of this is the town of Pisa.

It is evident from all of the above, that the e-bus deployment raises several issues that encompass not only technological and service management ones but also other decisional elements connected to the urban structure and appearance, especially in a region like Tuscany which retains a significant monumental heritage.

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Fig. 1 Readiness evaluations on e-bus deployment in Livorno Province

Results Considering the rather rapid sequence of events that occurred during the project period in Livorno province, it may be useful to carry out a quick assessment of those changes by using the readiness indicators mentioned above.

Results of the original model testing for the year 2020 (numbers refer to the number of Readiness Indicators for each category and level of readiness) and the one for mid-2022 are both indicated in Figure 1.

The comparison between the two historical sets of indicators shows a noteworthy improvement for category 1 due to the decisive role of governmental policies introduced of late to support the electrification of public transport: this process is expected to continue at a growing pace in the coming years. Some positive changes also occurred in Category 4, as a result of the communication initiatives (including the eBussed public survey carried out in mid-2021) implemented and the active working tables organized to foster e-mobility planning in the provincial territory.

Other parameters are expected to be positively influenced as the e-buses will gradually enter into operation from the current year.

Conclusion The basket of RI identified and now updated signals a rather rapid evolution of the readiness status for Livorno province, proved by indicators mostly of quantitative type, supported by metrics and statistics.

As mentioned in the thematic article 11, once the readiness level of an area such as Livorno province and its evolution have been assessed, further progress can be made by keeping such assessment ongoing as well as carrying out a risk & opportunity analysis of the various actions planned to increase the readiness level for each category. This exercise could constitute a useful complementary activity to the Driver & Barrier and the Readiness analyses carried out during the eBussed project. The writing of Livorno’s future has just started!

For more information on the contents of this article and supporting documentation, please contact: ebussed@provincia.livorno.it

www.interregeurope.eu/ebussed eBussed project supports regions in the transition towards low-carbon mobility and more efficient public transport in Europe by promoting the use of e-buses.