What the Bus?
THE NEWSROOM OF BUS2BUS

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to the BUS2BUS newsroom. Here you will find the latest news on the bus industry, exciting guest articles, our podcast BUS2Talk and current trends on all BUS2BUS topics.

Guest Article: Twiliner AG, Winner of the Fresh Travel Award of BUS2BUS 2022

Guest Article: Twiliner AG, Winner of the Fresh Travel Award of BUS2BUS 2022

4th July 2022 - Getting more people on the ground and convincing them to take a long-distance bus trip. How can this be done? The company Twiliner has a vision.

Five questions for Florian Gärtner

5 questions for Florian Gärtner

19th May 2022 - Florian Gärtner, Managing Director of the International Association of B2B Wholesalers (VPR), talks about his personal bus experiences and how his members and the bus travel industry are adapting to new target groups and trends.

Guest Article: Buses: the mainstay of public transport

Guest Article: Buses: the mainstay of public transport

16th May 2022 - Riding a bus instead of travelling solo by car helps to protect the climate. That is why the German government wants to attract more people to public transport. However, the bus industry is still lagging behind in the transition to climate-friendly transport. That is where the federal government’s support guidelines come in. A guest article by Dr. Volker Wissing, Member of German Parliament and Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure.

Spring: the start of the coach tourism season and many interesting and creative initiatives

Guest Article: Spring: the start of the coach tourism season and many interesting and creative initiatives

4th May 2022 - The start of Spring signals the traditional start of the coach season in The Netherlands and Belgium. During corona many operators had to be extremely inventive to keep their businesses ticking over. On the side of bus and coach producers much inventiveness was needed too. An interesting example: VDL Bus & Coach closed its bus plant in Heerenveen and joined forces with construction company Van Wijnen, building modules for prefab housing.

Five questions for Lars Behrendt

5 questions for Lars Behrendt

8th April 2022 - We speak to our BUS2BUS 2022 keynote speaker, Lars Behrendt, CEO of the Innovation Agency Granny&Smith, about his view on mobility and transport and what innovation means to him.

Five questions for Ross Douglas

5 questions for Ross Douglas

4th March 2022 - We talk to Ross Douglas, founder and CEO of AUTONOMY, a company that hosts international events and platforms for the urban mobility industry, about his interesting career path and the challenge of convincing a car owner/motorist to switch to more sustainable mobility options.

First hydrogen users in Germany – is this the bus fuel of the future?

Guest Article: First hydrogen users in Germany – is this the bus fuel of the future?

21st February 2022 - Battery-electric buses are well on the march in Germany too. However, it is not uncommon for the battery range to limit their daily usage. This is where fuel cell, i.e. hydrogen-powered buses, can provide a sensible alternative. In Germany there are already some companies operating them, and others will follow.

Five questions for Anna Grönlund

5 questions for Anna Grönlund

8th February 2022 - In "5 Questions for..." we speak with Anna Grönlund, deputy managing director of Sveriges Bussföretag, the Swedish Bus and Coach Federation, about the role of biofuels in the bus industry, the impact of the pandemic, the future of e-buses and other exciting topics.

The rapid evolution of batteries

Guest Article: The rapid evolution of batteries

1st February 2022 - Silicon anodes, graphene batteries and solid-state technology: battery development is gathering pace and will revolutionise mobility before the end of the decade.

Five questions for Laura Abbate

5 questions for Laura Abbate

6th January 2022 - The future belongs to the bus. Laura Abbate, Product Design & User Experience Strategy at White Octopus, is convinced of this. It is sustainable, flexible, versatile and spontaneously usable and thus an absolute multi-talent. Laura answers our five questions.

Regenerative fuels – a possible solution for public transport?

Guest Article: Regenerative fuels – a possible solution for public transport?

24th November 2021 - The Clean Vehicles Directive (CVD) requires that public transport companies successively convert their vehicle fleets to alternative drivetrains. Thus, powering conventional diesel engines with regenerative fuels offers a potential solution for an industry that must fulfil its responsibilities in the effort to meet climate targets.

Rollende Bibliotheken

Libraries on wheels

19th November 2021 - On November 19, the nationwide Reading Aloud Day will take place. For more than 100 years, mobile libraries have been providing people throughout Germany with books, board games, DVDs and audiobooks. But the buses have even more to offer...

Five questions for Carolin Grötzinger

5 questions for Carolin Grötzinger

15th November 2021 - Carolin Grötzinger, who succeeds Birgit Grötzinger as managing director of Grötzinger Reisen and is a member of the board of the bus operators’ association WBO – Verband Baden-Württembergischer Omnibusunternehmer e.V. She answers our five questions.

A completely new outlook

Guest Article: A completely new outlook

18th October 2021 - In the middle of the coronavirus pandemic a young designer is dreaming about the future of coach travel. With his Horizon Liner Janis Ufheil has offered the bus industry a whole new outlook.

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Guest Article: Are fuel cell buses on the march?

23rd August 2021 - It is nearly 20 years since a first small batch of public transport buses went into service powered by hydrogen fuel cells. But the breakthrough never happened. Five years ago it was almost impossible to even procure a fuel cell bus, the focus having turned to battery electric buses. In 2021 fuel cell buses are back.

The autonomous bus: idea or even solution for the future?

Guest Article: The autonomous bus: idea or even solution for the future?

31st March 2021 - They have been on test runs for some time now: autonomous buses that can drive all by themselves and no longer need anyone sitting at the steering wheel. So far, most of them are mini-buses for only a few passengers, but designers worldwide are already developing prototypes of "full-grown" autonomous buses ... We present a few examples here.

A golden decade for buses

Guest article: A golden decade for buses

17th February 2021 - Thanks to technical advances in battery-operated buses the massive challenges posed by a mobility sector undergoing transformational change are not as daunting anymore. Learning by doing is dictating the pace. Companies are now facing up to the inevitable and confronting the tasks ahead. What is more, switching to electric is now seen as a real opportunity for public transport.

Mobile without a car – and in rural areas too?

Guest article: Mobile without a car – and in rural areas too?

27th July 2020 - The population of Ostbevern in the Münsterland region numbers around 11,000. Over the past decade commuter numbers have risen noticeably. At the same time, the population on the municipality’s edges is ageing. According to the town council these persons want to remain mobile, but without having to rely on cars. stbevern now wants to ensure that for 19 hours, seven days a week, cars will no longer be needed. The basic idea is to establish an innovative passenger service and adapt local bus transport accordingly.

Battery technology of the future

Guest article: Battery technology of the future

16th June 2020 - Over the coming years battery energy density is expected to increase dramatically, which will result in the final breakthrough of electro-mobility. It is anticipated that cobalt-free battery cells and solid-state batteries will be market-ready. Consequently, in a few years both urban buses and travel coaches will be electrically powered.

Interview with Professor Heinz-Dieter Quack

Interview with Professor Heinz-Dieter Quack

19th December 2019 - The interview with Professor Heinz-Dieter Quack, Head of the Federal Tourism Competence Centre, was conducted by Christian Wahl, Communication and Public Relations Officer at bdo.

E-buses: Manufacturers are delivering

Guest Article: E-Buses: Manufacturers are delivering

30th January 2019 - E-bus mobility is gradually getting into its stride in Europe, and manufacturers are now presenting new models that can almost match diesel buses in terms of efficiency.

FAREWELL TO THE ANALOGUE AGE OF OIL

Farewell to the analogue age of oil

4th October 2018 - Self-driving electric buses of all sizes, a green light for public transport, less congestion in the cities, improved timetables in rural areas – in short: a better quality of life through improved mobility. Will this be the picture for public transport in 2040? Only if the opportunities now being offered are properly exploited, say futurologists.

Orientation in the digital age: The future of navigation

Orientation in the digital age: The future of navigation

14th August 2018 - What is data mining and what does it have to do with public transport and with mobility in general? Digitalisation is resulting in more and more data is being collected, including in public transport. In the future how can this data be used to establish patterns and correlations? What conclusions can be drawn in order to formulate new strategies for public transport?

16 buses that travel everywhere

16 buses that travel everywhere

13th July 2018 - Peter Heser owns a bus company in Warmensteinach in Upper Franconia. It operates on regular bus routes, provides coach services and fulfils contracts for the regional network. He explains what he thinks technological progress and policymakers should deliver.

Datamining in public transport

Data mining in public transport

14th June 2018 - What is data mining and what does it have to do with public transport and with mobility in general? Digitalisation is resulting in more and more data is being collected, including in public transport. In the future how can this data be used to establish patterns and correlations? What conclusions can be drawn in order to formulate new strategies for public transport?

Don´t fear digitalisation

Nothing to fear from digitalization

3rd May 2018 - Digitalisation is massively affecting the bus driver’s workplace, and the same applies to operations specialists and mechatronics engineers. Ultimately, the process will take time. That is why, for the foreseeable future, bus drivers have nothing to fear. However, the nature of their job will change.

Self-driving passenger vehicles – the highways of the future?

Automated road passenger transport

19th March 2018 - For a long time the media have been talking of self-driving vehicles as a futuristic solution for all kinds of transport problems. However, in recent months such plans have assumed a more tangible form, making an automated transport network even more likely in the future. And there is a particular focus on public transport.

Electric buses are gathering speed

Electric buses are gathering speed

29th January 2018 - The debate surrounding a possible ban of diesel vehicles has given electro-mobility in urban public transport a massive boost. Electric buses alone will not drive NOx emissions below the necessary threshold, however a switchover could make a significant contribution. In Germany and abroad, operators of pilot projects and even entire transport networks are running electric buses.