Urban buses with hybrid power systems

A conference on urban buses with hybrid power systems, organised by the International Union of Public Transport, will be held in Nürnberg, Germany, from 9 to 11 December 1998. The aim of the event is to present progress with a project to establish the current state of development of hybrid buses funded within the EU's THERMIE programme for the promotion of European energy technology.

Hybrid buses are intended to combine the advantages of electric traction and short term energy management by means of relatively small batteries and production of electric energy on board the vehicles through engines and generators or fuel cells. This will in turn help tackle problems with ever growing traffic leading to increasing problems with noise and emissions of pollutants.

One of the key features of the event will be a presentation from a representative of the European Commission, DG XVII for energy. Other topics to be addressed during the plenary sessions of the conference will include:

- Promoting innovative transport solutions;
- The operator's requirements for new technology;
- Challenges, risks and motivation of hybrid bus development;
- Operational experiences with hybrid buses in Nürnberg, Berlin, Stuttgart and Aalborg;
- Power management - the key to success;
- A study on fuel cell buses;
- Overview of current and future developments in hybrid vehicle technology;
- The THERMIE Demonstration programme - SAGITTAIRE.

Conference delegates will also have the opportunity to participate in technical visits and workshops organised around the conference. An exhibition on the latest hybrid bus developments will also be open in parallel with the conference.
For further information, please contact:

International Union of Public Transport
17 Avenue Herrmann-Debroux
B-1160 Brussels
Tel. +32-2-6736100; Fax +32-2-6601072
E-mail: events@uipt.com