Sustainable Bus Award (www.sustainablebusoftheyear.com) is yearly delivered to three vehicles. The award is indeed split in the following categories: Urban, Intercity, Coach. Among city buses, the challenge will be between three battery electric vehicles: Mercedes eCitaro, Irizar ie tram and Heuliez GX 437 Elec.
In the ‘Intercity’ segment, the finalists are Scania Interlink LD LNG (fuelled with liquid natural gas), Iveco Crossway Natural Power in Normal Floor version (CNG fuelled) and, finally, the mild hybrid Solaris Urbino 12 LE Lite Hybrid. The latter is the only intercity candidate not equipped with a gas engine.
Among coaches, the Mercedes Tourismo Safety Coach will face the VDL Futura FHD2 (in the new version featuring ZF Traxon) and the Scania Interlink MD LNG. The jury represents eight European countries. The network, indeed, consists of Mobilités Magazine (France), Busfahrt (Germany), AUTOBUS (Italy), OV-Magazine (Netherlands), InfoBus (Poland),
Infotrucker (Romania), Carril Bus (Spain) and, as a new entry, Bus and coach professional (UK).
The shortlist is the result of a first selection. Each juror submitted its candidates, and the vehicles that achieved more nominations (three per category) were included in the finalists list. Now the jurors will proceed with the second step, carrying out a detailed evaluation of the shortlisted vehicles according to SBY criteria. The criteria are split in the following areas: Engine, Transmission, Safety, Comfort, Sustainabiliy.
Sustainable Bus Award is based on a cross-cutting idea of sustainability, intended as the ability to establish a positive image of the vehicle to the eyes of the general public. Several aspects can come into play, such as safety, comfort, noise, recyclability of components and the general environmental commitment of the manufacturer.
München, Germany
Photo: Gustav Lindh 2017
