Before the introduction of the electric shuttle bus, we knew that the e-buses would lead to changes for our drivers and the employees in the workshop. Instead of lying under the bus with a spanner, the workshop is increasingly sitting in or on the bus with a laptop to monitor the battery management system, the batteries themselves or other parts of the electrical system. Of course, this is not possible without appropriate training and further education.

For the driver, on the other hand, not that many changes. Half an hour to get used to it, then the handling of the electric bus has become second nature, say the colleagues who have already been behind the wheel. The brakes, for example, are hardly ever needed. If the gas pedal is lifted, the bus starts to generate electricity for the batteries. This brakes at the same time so that the driver with a little experience only has to press the brake pedal for the last few meters before the bus stop or the red traffic light. 

Before a driver can go online with the e-bus, however, he needs to be instructed in the new technology: for example, he must know how to drive to the charging station and how to start or end the charging process.

And the Passengers?

The passengers notice the slightest difference. The seating and standing room capacity remains the same because although the bus has many batteries on board, the engine and transmission are omitted, freeing up space for the batteries. The comfort is also as usual with low-floor construction, lowering at the bus stop, air conditioning, and the readers for our electronic tickets.