Critical barriers precluding the electrification of road public transport in Southern Switzerland

Following the growing trend for electric passenger cars, due to their lower environmental and climate impacts, a trend towards the electrification of public transport is emerging, particularly regarding urban buses. However, the reliability of the service offered by electric alternatives to diesel-powered buses and the costs of the related transition have not been fully explored. In this background, we simulated the transition to electric bus powertrains for two bus lines in Locarno (Southern Switzerland) and compared the currently available electric technologies and charging schemes, based on their level of operation and their overall cost. According to these simulations, "opportunity charging" schemes emerged as the most promising ones for such urban lines in Locarno. Nonetheless, in the short-term their introduction is still hindered by barriers, such as in particular: the lack of capability to guarantee the service in case of delays above three minutes, the higher cost (between 40% and 60% higher than Euro VI diesel buses, which is also hampered by cashback on diesel custom duties), the need for proper training by the transport company staff, and the time needed to install the charging stations.