Oslo is on pace to become the first capital city in the world to achieve a completely electric public transportation system thanks to a new agreement to replace diesel-powered public buses with electric versions. The arrangement is a part of a bigger objective for Oslo to become the first entirely emission-free city by the end of this decade, and the city is anticipated to achieve this goal by the end of 2023.
450 electric buses will replace the city’s current buses as part of a 500 million crown ($47 million) contract, according to Reuters. Long-term savings are anticipated from the initial investment, which will also assist Oslo in becoming an emissions-free city.
Sirin Stav, the vice-mayor in charge of transportation and the environment, claimed that upkeep on electric buses was less expensive. “In the end, everyone benefits from this circumstance.”
Additionally, the changeover will lessen the city’s air and noise pollution. Many of Oslo’s ferries have already been electrified, and the city has a vast network of bike lanes and improved safety features for walkers and cyclists to entice citizens to use more environmentally friendly modes of transportation.
Stav believes that the significant electric bus agreement would encourage other cities to adopt similar policies, particularly before the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27), which will be held from November 6 to November 18, 2022.
Ingvild Roerholt, a transportation expert with the environmental organization ZERO, hailed Oslo’s electric bus agreement.
But going forward, Roerholt emphasized, Oslo must ensure that the number of emissions connected to the manufacture of these ships and vehicles is transparent.
The production of electric vehicle batteries and the electricity required for charging are two of the biggest worries. In Norway, oil, gas, and coal together still make up a sizable component of the energy mix, but 92% of electricity generation is still generated by the country’s enormous hydropower.
Electric buses save about 62% of emissions compared to diesel-fueled buses and can reduce carbon emissions by up to 270,000 pounds per year when compared to diesel and compressed natural gas buses, though there is still room for transparency and improvement in the area of emissions and energy use in the manufacturing of electric vehicles.
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Oslo is positioned to become a global leader in sustainable transit, even after accounting for all emissions produced throughout the course of the electric cars’ lifetimes.
First published on EcoWatch, the article is titled “Oslo Looks to Become the World’s First Capital City With All-Electric Public Transit.”
