Germany - It is by now a commonplace that the order of business for the automotive industry today is no longer “business as usual” but “adapt or die”; nowhere is this truer than in the bus segment, which must ever keep abreast of changing regulations regarding air and noise pollution if it is to remain a viable option for public transportation in urban areas.¹ Happily, the industry is demonstrating its adaptability in the face of rapid change, and projections for the global bus market predict that, by 2025, over 50% of buses sold will employ fully-electric or hybrid-electric drivelines, climbing to nearly 100% by 2040.² 

Nevertheless, the industry-wide transition from internal combustion to low- or zero-carbon propulsion systems entails the adoption of new modes of operation that emphasise collaboration over competition. It is not enough to simply tweak or replace a couple of components; electric buses require new powertrain configurations, the integration of new control systems, and an entirely different fuelling/charging infrastructure to make them viable. Every link in the bus segment chain is affected, from bodybuilders down to component manufacturers. It has become imperative for producers and suppliers to partner up in order to offer to their customers holistic solutions to the manufacture of electric vehicles and the electrification of fleets.