Project Purpose and Description
E-MED tests and validates solutions to increase energy-efficiency and resource-efficiency of public transport systems to reduce public transport’s environmental footprint drastically, and to react flexibly to changing energy prices caused by the current energy crisis. This challenge affects in particular local public authorities, public transport infrastructure and energy providers, but also industry suppliers of electric vehicles and service operators. Thus, E-MED solutions are developed to increase energy-efficiency and share of renewable energy sources, (e.g., tools for fleet, network planning, driver support, AI supported maintenance of energy systems), and to increase resource-efficiency and resilience, (e.g., re-use of batteries and rainwater, maintenance of tires, procurement guidelines) support in the evidence-based planning and introduction of e-bus systems to help objective decision-taking and smart planning, investing and procurement from the start. This way, E-MED solutions support the right design of a PT system through smart organization and planning of networks and operations, optimized charging concepts, optimal use of engineering technology, and capacity building around more “human” topics like eco-driving. As key enablers to reduce energy consumption and to increase the lifetime of PT fleet and infrastructure, E-MED solutions with focus on end-user needs provide orientation to both buyers and industry. Based on the testing and validation of E-MED solutions, strategies and action plans are optimized in a participatory co-design approach with stakeholders from the public transport and energy community
Motivation
The Mediterranean region is considered a climate change hot spot when compared to other regions of the world. One of the major contributors to this status is carbon emissions from the transport sector (29% of the total emissions in the region) emissions and public transport offers us a unique opportunity to turn things around in the Mediterranean region. Public Transport Operators are undergoing a transition, replacing diesel buses with vehicles with no local emissions, notably electric buses.
With a view to improving the lives of Mediterranean citizens by promoting the development of green living areas through sustainable public transportation, the E-MED project is fully committed with energy efficiency, renewable energy sources integration and circularity in the PT operations, all of them crucial for the transition towards a greener Mediterranean region.
