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Worldwide alternative energy bus sales continue to rise

Posted: 24 July 2015 | Katie Sadler, Digital Content Producer, Intelligent Transport

A new study has discovered alternative energy buses now represent 7 percent of all global bus sales and is expected to grow 14 percent by 2020. The ‘Buses – Global Market Trends’ study, carried out by consultancy company SCI Verkehr, reveals buses with alternative energy motors increased above average between 2012 and 2014. Total bus […]

Worldwide alternative energy bus sales continue to rise

A new study has discovered alternative energy buses now represent 7 percent of all global bus sales and is expected to grow 14 percent by 2020.

Worldwide alternative energy bus sales continue to rise

The ‘Buses – Global Market Trends’ study, carried out by consultancy company SCI Verkehr, reveals buses with alternative energy motors increased above average between 2012 and 2014. Total bus sales are expected to grow up to 2.1 percent every year between 2015 and 2020, passing 500,000 units per year in 2019.

Figures suggest hybrid buses made the greatest gains, surpassing the number of orders for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) buses. Electric buses appear as the third most preferred technology, pushed by large orders in China where over 90 percent of electric bus orders between 2013 and 2014 came from China. The city of Hangzhou alone has ordered an additional 2,000 electric vehicles currently being produced by BYD, a specialised Chinese manufacturer.

According to SCI Verkehr, Eastern Europe’s demand for buses with alternative energy motors is relatively low, but the overall market has been growing considerably. Between 2012 and 2014, the region registered a growth of 23 percent, the largest figure among world regions. Another positive development could be observed in North America in the same period, especially in USA, where the recovery of school buses contributed to a growth of 21 percent in bus sales.

Figures, however, suggest negative growth from BRIC counties. In 2014 bus markets registered a fall of 16 percent in Brazil, 18 percent in Russia, 17 percent in India and a slight -3 percent decrease in China. Together, they are responsible for almost 60 percent of bus deliveries worldwide.

SCI Verkehr estimates that the worldwide bus market will grow 2.6 percent per year until 2020 in terms of units and 4.8 percent in terms of sales volume. This difference points to increasing bus prices, which is not only the result of inflation, but also because due to the demand for more elaborate products. Growing size, more comfortable equipment and specially the increasing use of alternative energy motors are the main factors contributing to this trend.