Urban mobility is key to sustainability and people’s quality of life. New energies are currently in vogue, but what other aspects should we take into account when choosing a sustainable means of transport?
Sustainability: environmental, social and economic aspects
Sustainability is not measured only in emissions, one must also take into account social, economic and environmental aspects. Therefore, for choosing a new minibus model to serve our city we must assess not only the energy that will move those minibuses, but also the budget we have, the lines to be renewed or added and also the availability of the necessary energy.
The 4 main sources of energy for public transport
Euro VI diesel – Euro VI diesel engines reduce emissions by up to 50% compared to diesel engines of the previous regulation. Renewing the fleet of vehicles older than 15 years by this solution is already a first step to reduce the emissions of nitrogen oxides, suspended particles and harmful gases. These engines incorporate particulate filters, gas recirculation systems and selective catalysts that help reduce emissions. They are the cheapest options for the acquisition of new vehicles, so that, with an equal budget, more units can be renewed.
CNG – Compressed Natural Gas or CNG engines have a reduction of NOx particles, the largest and therefore the most harmful to health, by almost 90% and they also reduce CO2 and noise compared to Euro VI engines. Although the acquisition of the vehicle is somewhat more expensive than a diesel one, it is quickly compensated since the fuel is cheaper, and thus the final operating cost is more beneficial.
Electric – Electric motors are emission-free and noise-free. They are the cleanest option once they are put into circulation. However, it is necessary to take into account the source of electricity that will be necessary and the fact that the acquisition cost is very high, so that with the same budget, few units can be renewed and therefore, fewer citizens will benefit from its use.
Hydrogen: the hydrogen battery now seems to be the bet for the future, but nowadays it is a technology that is not very mature and has an anecdotal implementation. Currently there is almost no offer of minibuses and urban minibuses with this technology, which being very expensive cause the price of the final product to skyrocket.
Energy, capillarity and flexibility of public transport
Thus, taking all these aspects into account, in order to decide what type of urban minibus we want to add to our fleet, we must take into account environmental criteria (emissions and origin of energy) but also the democratization of transport and the capillarity of the lines ( reaching as many people as possible and at an appropriate price for everyone) and the flexibility of solutions (vehicles that allow us to reach all corners of our city with sufficient autonomy) so that it is truly sustainable in all its facets.
Indcar offers in its range of minibuses models with Euro VI and CNG technology. The range of urban minibuses has been extended with the launch of the CNG range with expanded tanks, which increases the autonomy of the vehicles by up to 50%.
If you want to know more about our minibuses, do not hesitate to contact us.
