D 17.13

Design Brief for Innovative Electric Buses

Version 1.0

Date of issue 20.12.2016

Nature of Deliverable External

Dissemination Level Public

Status Final

Issued by Project Director Giuseppe Attoma, Patricia Bastard, Michele Tozzi Yo Kaminagai, UITP Agnes Peter, Stephan Schoenherr

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N° 636300. Coordinator: UITP – International Association of Public Transport

Deliverable 17.13 Page 1 of 41 SUMMARY SHEETProgramme Horizon 2020 Contract N. 636300 Project Title European Bus Systems for the Future 2 Acronym EBSF_2 Coordinator UITP – International Association of Public Transport Project Director Michele Tozzi, [email protected] Web-site http://ebsf2.eu Starting date 1 May 2015 Number of months 36 months

Deliverable N. 17.13 Deliverable Title Design Brief for Innovative Electric Buses Version 1.0 Date of issue 20.12.2016 Distribution [Internal/External] External Dissemination level Public Abstract Deliverable 17.13 reports about the preliminary activities performed by the EBSF_2 working group on bus design to elaborate a design charter characterising innovative electric buses for European cities. The emergence of electric buses is a unique opportunity to propose a radical change in the bus design, because of three main reasons: from a technical point of view, the architecture of the vehicles must be reviewed to integrate new components as batteries; in commercial terms, this new technical architecture is the opportunity to improve the interior spaces for travelers; symbolically, as for electric private cars, the bus exterior should express its new nature, for the public transport customers as well as for the city. D17.13 reports on the selection and analysis of previous functional studies about innovative design for buses and presents the approach developed by the design group to identify the key areas for innovation to be investigated in the EBSF_2 Design Charter.

Keywords Bus design, Electric Propulsion, Passengers, City, Operators, Urban Environment, On-board Experience

This report is subject to a disclaimer and copyright. This report has been carried out under a contract awarded by the European Commission, contract number: 636300 No part of this report may be used, reproduced and or/disclosed, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of UITP and the EBSF_2 consortium. All rights reserved. Persons wishing to use the contents of this study (in whole or in part) for purposes other than their personal use are invited to submit a written request to the following address: UITP International Association of Public Transport Rue Sainte-Marie 6- 1080 Brussels

Deliverable 17.13 Page 2 of 41 INTERNAL DISTRIBUTION Participant N° Participant organisation name Country 1 Coordinator Union Internationale des Transports Publics - UITP Belgium 2 Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens - RATP France 3 Iveco France SA - IVECO France 4 Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.-FRAUNHOFER Germany 5 Hübner Gummi- und Kunststoff GMBH - HUEBNER Germany 6 DigiMobee SAS - DIGIMOBEE France 7 Centro de Estudios e Investigaciones Técnicas - CEIT Spain 8 Chalmers Tekniska Hoegskola AB - CHALMERS Sweden 9 Compañía del Tranvía de San Sebastián, SA (CTSS) – DBUS Spain 10 IRIZAR S Coop - IRIZAR Spain 11 D’Appolonia S.p.A. - DAPP Italy 12 EvoBus GmbH - EVOBUS Germany 13 Volvo Bus Corporation - VBC Sweden 14 Pluservice srl - PLUSERVICE Italy 15 Universidad Politécnica de Madrid - UPM Spain 16 Actia S.A. - ACTIA France 17 Teknologian Tutkimuskeskus - VTT Finland 18 MEL-SYSTEM Italy 19 Ineo Systrans – INEO France 20 Stuttgarter Strassenbahnen AG - SSB Germany 21 Associazione Trasporti - ASSTRA Italy 22 Pilotfish Networks AB - PILOTFISH Sweden 23 Start Romagna SpA - START ROMAGNA Italy 24 FIT Consulting Srl - FIT Italy 25 Hogia Public Transport Systems AB - HOGIA Sweden 26 Trapeze ITS UK Limited - TRAPEZE Switzerland 27 Digigroup Informatica srl - DIGIGROUP Italy 28 Transports de Barcelona SA - TMB Spain 29 TIS PT, Consultores em Transportes, Inovação e Sistemas, SA - TISPT Portugal 30 Rupprecht Consult - Forschung & Beratung GmbH - RUPPRECHT Germany 31 Keolis SA - KEOLIS France 32 Syndicat Mixte des Transports pourle Rhone et l agglomeration Lyonnaise - SYTRAL France 33 Transport for London – TFL UK 34 Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza – UNIROMA1 Italy 35 Verband Deutscher Verkehrsunternehmen - VDV Germany 36 Promotion of Operational Links with Integrated Services, Association Internationale-POLIS Belgium 37 Tekia Consultores Tecnologicos S.L - TEKIA Spain 38 Innovative Informatikanwendungen in Transport-, Verkehrs-und Leitsystemen GmbH-INIT Germany 39 Union des Transports Publics - UTP France 40 Västtrafik AB - VTAB Sweden 41 Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives - CEA France 42 Consorcio Regional de Transportes de Madrid - CRTM Spain

Deliverable 17.13 Page 3 of 41 EXTERNAL DISTRIBUTION Entity Short name Country Contact person European Commission - INEA EC INEA - Mr. Walter Mauritsch

DOCUMENT CHANGE LOG Version Date Main area of changes Organnisation Comments 0.1 8.01.2016 Whole document UITP, RATP, Yellow First draft Window, Attoma, MAN 0.2 16.03.2016 Section 5. Attoma, Customer ‘experience: Behavioural analysis. 0.3 25.03. 2016 Section 5. Yellow Window Electric bus design : state of the art 0.4 11.10.2016 Section 4 RATP Analysis of previous studies on “innovative” bus desing. 0.5 12.12.2016 Section xxx Yellow Window, Attoma, Lighting, ink technology, RATP, MAN research questions. 0.6 13.12.2106 Whole document UITP Final contents review, Quality check, 1.0 20.12.2016 Whole document UITP, RATP, Yellow Review based on quality Window, Attoma, MAN check

CONTRIBUTING PARTNERS Company Names Company Info attoma Giuseppe Attoma attoma Paris 25, rue Titon, 75011 Paris | France www.attoma.eu/ MAN Stephan Schönherr MAN TRUCK & BUS AG, Dachauer Str. 667, D - 80 995 München, Germany http://www.man.eu RATP Yo Kaminagai Régie autonome des transports parisiens http://www.ratp.fr/ UITP Michele Tozzi, Agnès Peter International Association of Public Transport Rue Sainte-Marie 6, B-1080 Brussels ; Belgium www.uitp.org Yellow Window Patrica Bastard Yellow Window sarl, 2 rue de Lancry, 75 010 PARIS http://www.yellowwindow.com

Deliverable 17.13 Page 4 of 41 INDEX 1 Executive Summary...... 6

2 Introduction ...... 8

3 Previous functional and design studies on “innovative” buses...... 9 3.1 Roger Tallon design study on future buses (1976)...... 9 3.2 « Bus Européen du Futur (BEDF) » – Functional Analysis (2003) ...... 9 3.3 “re?bus” advanced design competition (2005) ...... 10 3.4 European Bus of the Future – functional features and recommendations (2006)...... 11 3.5 Conclusions and perspectives after 15 years of non-evolution in bus designs...... 12

4 Design brief for innovative electric buses...... 13 4.1 Electric bus design: state of the art analysis...... 13 4.1.1 Experience in the urban space ...... 21 4.1.2 Experience on board...... 25 4.2 Users’ experience...... 30 4.3 Building the design innovation model ...... 36

5 Partners’ Contribution ...... 38

6 CONCLUSIONS: key research questions...... 39

ANNEX 1 ...... 40

INDEX OF FIGURES Figure 1 - Key areas for design innovation ...... 36 Figure 2 – Design Charter Matrix...... 37

INDEX OF TABLES Table 1 - Electric buses selected for the state-of-the-art design analysis...... 20

Deliverable 17.13 Page 5 of 41 1 Executive Summary

Electric buses offer the opportunity to propose a radical change in bus design; reasons rely on technical, commercial and symbolical attributes of a bus system. The architecture of the vehicles must be reviewed to integrate new components (e.g. batteries) and there is the opportunity to improve the capacity and interior spaces for travelers. Bus design innovations have been very limited if compared to cars and trams - with the exception of specific vehicle classes such as BRT or mini-buses - and symbolically, the bus exterior should express its new nature, for users and non-users.

Within EBSF_2 a design working group has been set-up to address a strategic question: can we express an electric bus as a new urban object in light of the key opportunity offered by the energy transition? The group is being led by the UITP, together with public transport designers from Attoma, MAN Truck & Bus AG, RATP and Yellow Window, which represent product, service, information design sectors and bus industry.

As a first step, several electric buses already available in the market have been analysed in terms of design features applied to both internal and external layout. The research objective was to investigate the state-of-the-art of electric bus design by providing an overview of bus solutions different for size (midi, standard, articulated), propulsion technology (standard electric, plug-in, hybrid plug-in) and manufacturer. Very often electric buses still feature a classic bodywork with batteries integrated in the roof without taking into account the styling lines and the silhouette of the vehicles with the obvious result of unappealing finish. When more contemporary bodywork are elaborated, design cues from tramways are often used to add perceived quality values; this mainly applies to articulated buses. Overall, the onboard equipment is quite basic when compared to the new generation of tramway or metro. High investment costs, which return is very difficult due to sale volumes, as well as the lack of clear demand trends and the scarcity of resources made available to operators or authorities to renew the fleets are behind this.

Beyond the consideration of the bus as an object (spaces, layout, product design) it is of utmost importance to integrate user behaviors patterns in e-bus design guidelines. In fact, the daily experience of this transportation mode is also determined by the social and cultural practices that happen every day on the bus as a place of life. A visual survey of user behaviors observed into European networks has been performed to cluster patterns of users, socialization and communication practices on board. Each category raises specific challenges as well as opportunities to be addressed by designers to promote a new customer experience of the bus.

All of the above allowed the working group to identify the most promising domains in need of new design principles to change the image of the bus beyond its pure technological

Deliverable 17.13 Page 6 of 41 transformation. Identity, accessibility, information, publicity are the key working areas dealing with the bus experience in the urban space, which is indeed complementary to the experience on board, which relies on the driver / passenger interface, space perception, augmented services, comfort and security and safety.

The multi-stakeholder composition of the EBSF_2 design group as well as the involvement of relevant UITP working bodies such as the Design & Culture Platform and Bus Committee, ensure the analysis will effectively consider the point of view of passengers, cities, operators and manufactures to feed the specification of an innovative electric bus concept. The outcome of the analysis will be merged to elaborate a Design Charter for new electric buses, consisting of illustrated chapters to propose design principles the manufacturers can mix with their own brand standards to produce vehicles. This will be a first important step to foster the opportunities created by electric propulsion in making buses not only more clean, but also more attractive.

Deliverable 17.13 Page 7 of 41 2 Introduction

During the last 15 years, despite several important initiatives, the design of buses has not been really transformed. Many explanations can be given but the main reasons rely on two domains:  A lack of design strategy: no will has been expressed from the buyers’ side towards the manufacturers about the need of a significant change in bus design.  A lack of design management: several past initiatives to propose a change in the bus design have not seen the participation of bus manufacturers as “co-validators” of a design strategy.

As a result, the applications made by the manufacturers were limited to some niche products (BRT buses or minibuses) chosen as profitable, and to some upstream operations (concept- buses, prototypes).

The general goal of the EBSF_2 design working group is to investigate on the design opportunities offered by electric propulsion to express the e-bus as a recognisable and more attractive urban object, in order to upgrade the bus mode status for the passengers and for the cities. As a first step, several electric vehicles already available in the market have been reviewed by the task members and the most innovative ones selected as the reference in the sector. As part of the analysis; both the internal and external layout have been taken into consideration.

The rational of the EBSF_2 design working group can be summarised in a few key concepts.

RATIONAL – KEY CONCEPTS 1. No change of the bus status except for some specific bus categories (BRT, micro-buses). 2. Very limited bus design innovations in comparison with other vehicle categories (private cars, tramways, scooters). 3. Low acceptance of buses by some local authorities. 4. Electric buses today have no distinctive exteriors to show they are different vehicles. 5. The energetic transition is a key opportunity to propose a radical change in the bus design, beyond its technical transformation. This will lead to a better customer experience and a status upgrade for the local authorities and operators.

Deliverable 17.13 Page 8 of 41 3 Previous functional and design studies on “innovative” buses

Four functional and design studies have been selected as relevant for positioning the work of the EBSF_2 design group in the current bus vehicles’ design ecosystem. Even though some studies have been issued more than 30 years ago, they all present valuable concepts to be elaborated and integrated to deliver design principles for the electric bus of the future. A brief analysis and the main conclusions of the studies are presented in the following.

3.1 Roger Tallon design study on future buses (1976) The study made by the French designer Roger Tallon in 1976 for the RATP has been selected as an interesting contribution, because designers’ global approaches are relatively seldom and because this designer made three parallel and progressive studies: how to enhance the existing vehicle (the Saviem SC 10 U), how to propose a modified vehicle but on the same technical basis, and how to design a radically new urban bus (called Urbus). At that time, in many European countries, the bus mode was severely declining and its attractiveness had to be reinforced by big changes. Therefore the RATP had decided to ask Roger Tallon, the famous French designer involved in the French railways (Corail coaches, TGV, etc.) to “reinvent” the bus through a global approach. Some conclusions of this study still appear very interesting:  Tallon had proposed a vehicle with a general external silhouette, very simple and timeless, allowing an obvious recognition as an urban bus (vs. many products still too similar to tourist and long distance coaches).  In his Urbus concept Tallon had designed an interior layout absorbing the technical parts (engine and other components) without impacting negatively the vehicle’s “livability” for the passengers. For example, he has imagined a layout with two completely horizontal floors separated by a staircase correctly proportioned, with the front one completely accessible and the back one covering a technical compartment as if it was a “second floor”, with the possibility to open the back extremity with an urban terrace (as on the old Parisian buses of the Thirties). These orientations could be considered as relevant for the future European electric buses if a breakthrough strategy was chosen about its design.

3.2 « Bus Européen du Futur (BEDF) » – Functional Analysis (2003) In 2001 several bus operators and authorities (HUR Copenhagen, Carris Lisbon, TPG Geneva, TEC-SRWT Wallonia, RATP, Connex, Keolis and Transdev) were really motivated to obtain new buses based on radically new design solutions; they were gathered in a group called in French “Bus Européen du Futur” or BEDF Group. A study has been conducted, through a valuable analysis method, in order to define reasonable specifications to prepare a balanced networks’ position, which had to be

Deliverable 17.13 Page 9 of 41 presented to the manufacturers. The recommendations produced have been presented and discussed at the 2003 UITP World Congress in Madrid. Unfortunately, the conclusions of the study were not positively accepted by the manufacturers, also because of a not adequate support from the European authorities. The non-acceptance of the conclusions by the industry revealed two structural problems existing in the bus vehicles’ design ecosystem:  Lack of confidence of the manufacturers towards the buyers’ side (operators or authorities). Buyers were somehow considered “non-reliable”, because of their permanent evolution in the environmental specifications included in the terms of reference of their tenders (Euro n, n+1, n+2 ... standards). As soon as the manufacturers were able to deliver new vehicles based on a recently introduced standard (Euro n), the buyers were announcing their will to specify procurements based on the following standard (Euro n+1). Therefore the manufacturers couldn’t give a high level of trust in the conclusions of the “Bus Européen du Futur” functional study, believing that the buyers’ intentions wouldn’t be stable.

 Lack of structured exchanges in the design field between the manufacturers and the buyers (operators or authorities) out of the industrial procurement processes (“double loop syndrome”). The current short-term loops between clients and producers happen through the tenders organized in the procurement processes. But so far the manufacturers (represented by their commercial and marketing departments) can only adapt their industrial platforms to match the specifications they receive from the buyers’ departments in charge of the procurement. These industrial platforms are prepared in upstream steps, out of a structured and reliable specification process, which would include the buyers’ real needs, especially those of the final customers (the passengers and the local city authorities). Such a process would represent a middle and long-term loop with an exchange between the manufacturers’ R&D departments and the buyers’ marketing departments.

The combination of these two problems made inaudible the recommendations about bus design specifications, considered less relevant than the environmental specifications, already considered as non-reliable. Paradoxically, the failure of this step pushed all the BEDF partners to prepare the following step called “re?bus”, an innovative design competition based on the same functional basis as the functional analysis presented in 2003.

3.3 “re?bus” advanced design competition (2005) The 8 partners of the BEDF Group, confident about the relevance of the work done in 2003 and the value of their approach, decided to elaborate a second trial. In this case, the BEDF Group delivered a visual result, considered more effective for exploitation and dissemination

Deliverable 17.13 Page 10 of 41 purpose than a list of functions, which has been fed not by professional designers (because of intellectual property matters) but by students belonging to European creative schools (design and architecture) through a design competition. This operation was called re?bus and organized by the French design promotion agency (APCI), financed by the BEDF Group members, the UITP and the French ground transportation research program (Predit). The results were presented at the UITP 2005 World Congress in Rome. Based on a summary of the functional analysis conclusions, limited to the innovative functions, the results touched many industrial teams, not used to receive such inputs for their technical design processes. The design conclusions of this project could be summarized in 10 points: 1. Opportunity to design layouts able to welcome a real life on board, 2. Necessity to organize the passengers flows, 3. Physical and visual relation with the cityscape, 4. Optimisation and organization of the passengers information displays, 5. Different spatial layouts for the driver (separated or not), 6. Opportunity to use the external body as a communication display, 7. Modularity, 8. Possible dissymmetrical bodies, 9. New technical concepts (e.g.: bogies, engine trailer), 10. New aesthetic and stylistic trends for the buses.

Globally, the re?bus operation revealed that the bus could remain an eternally modern and trend, but only of some major transformations were applied to its components, and especially the vehicles. Beyond the technical results, a methodological conclusion could be drawn: although design had been more considered at the beginning as an illustrative discipline to generate more easy-understanding results, design could be also considered as a strategic discipline able to reveal the relevant trends to follow, with more efficiency than a classical report.

3.4 European Bus of the Future – functional features and recommendations (2006) The UITP took the initiative to gather the deliverables of the BEDF functional analysis step (2003) and the re?bus design competition results to publish “Functional features and recommendations” in 3 languages (English, French and German). This complete deliverable, presenting the fully organized and structured conclusions of the initial functional analysis illustrated and enhanced by the visual results of re?bus, allowed some manufacturers to work on new products (e.g. Volvo and Irisbus), partly within the EBSF project.

Deliverable 17.13 Page 11 of 41 3.5 Conclusions and perspectives after 15 years of non-evolution in bus designs During the last 15 years, despite several important initiatives, the design of buses has not been really transformed. Many explanations can be given but, according to the analysis of the selected studies, the main reasons rely on two domains:  A lack of strategy: no powerful will has been expressed from the buyers’ side towards the manufacturers about the need of a significant change in bus design.  A lack of management: the important attempts described in this chapter didn’t involve the manufacturers as “co-validators” of a design strategy.

As a result, the applications made by the manufacturers were limited to some niche products (BRT buses or minibuses) chosen as profitable, and to some upstream operations (concept- buses, prototypes). During the same time-frame, the current production didn’t really evolve.

Some recent market research studies conducted in Paris have revealed that the last generations of buses is considered by many passengers not adequate with several details, not appreciated by the passengers, which seem to suggest that a bus is not designed to first satisfy the needs of the final customer (the passenger), but to make possible the integration of its technical components. Today, the electric transition of the bus creates a strategic opportunity to radically transform the bus. A design chart is needed to generate balanced recommendations, shared among different bus stakeholders, and allow each manufacturer to prepare its own industrial platforms.

Deliverable 17.13 Page 12 of 41 4 Design brief for innovative electric buses

4.1 Electric bus design: state of the art analysis The general goal of the EBSF_2 design working group is to investigate on the design opportunities offered by electric propulsion to express the e-bus as a recognisable and more attractive urban object, in order to upgrade the bus mode status for the passengers and for the cities. As a first step, several electric vehicles (both already available in the market or prototypes) have been reviewed by the task members and the most innovative ones selected as the reference in the sector. As part of the analysis; both the internal and external layout have been taken into consideration. Overall 13 buses have been selected and analyzed vis-à-vis the key domains identified by the working group as the most promising to change the image of the bus through innovative design (section 4.3), beyond its pure technological transformation due to the energetic transition. Even though the selection cannot be considered definitive, since the design working group will continue analyzing - till the end of the project life time – new e-buses, the selected vehicles represent a significant overview of electric bus solutions in terms of size (midi, standard, articulated), propulsion technology (standard electric, plug-in, hybrid plug-in) and bus manufacturers (BOLLORÉ, BYD, IVECO, MAN, PVI, SAFRA, SOLARIS, TATA, Van Hool, Bombardier, VDL, VOLVO). Some of the buses are already in operation, as the VOLVO 7900 electric which is running on line 55 in Gothenburg as part of the ElectriCity project, while others vehicle are still prototypes.

The bus solutions selected are presented in Table1.

Deliverable 17.13 Page 13 of 41 Manufactur Vehicle General External layout Additional info er Name description BOLLORÉ Bluebus Electric The product was standard bus presented in 2015 in the (12 m) context of the COP21. 23 Bluebuses will be delivered in 2016 for an experimentation in Paris. https://www.blue- solutions.com/en/

BYD Ebus Electric The vehicle is also known standard bus as K9 in the China (12 m) http://www.byd.com/ap/eb us.html

Deliverable 17.13 Page 14 of 41 Manufactur Vehicle General External layout Additional info er Name description BYD n.a. Electric The product was articulated bus presented in 2015 at (18 m) Busworld trade fair in Kortrijk, Belgium.

IVECO ELLISUP Electric plug-in The product was CONCEPT bus presented in 2013 at (12 m) Busworld trade fair in Kortrijk ( Belgium) http://www.iveco.com/corp orate- en/company/pages/iveco- bus-innovation.aspx

Deliverable 17.13 Page 15 of 41 Manufactur Vehicle General External layout Additional info er Name description MAN Lion’s City Electric (18m) The product was E presented in 2016 at 66th IAA Commercial Vehicles.

PVI Oréos 4X Electric The product was midibus (9m) presented in 2015 in the context of the COP21. http://www.pvi.fr/?lang=en

Deliverable 17.13 Page 16 of 41 Manufactur Vehicle General External layout Additional info er Name description SAFRA BUSINOV Electric hybrid The product was A plug-in (10,5m) presented in 2015 at Busworld trade fair in Kortrijk ( Belgium) http://www.businova.com/ en/home/welcome.html

SOLARIS URBINO Electric The product was 12 electric standard bus presented in 2015 at (12 m) Busworld trade fair in Kortrijk ( Belgium) https://www.solarisbus.co m/vehicle/urbino-12- electric

Deliverable 17.13 Page 17 of 41 Manufactur Vehicle General External layout Additional info er Name description TATA Ultra Design Electric concept for Bus fully electric Concept bus

VAN HOOL Exqui.City Electric 2 tram-buses will be electric articulated bus delivered early 2016 to the (18 m) city of Hambourg. http://www.exquicity.be/en /

Deliverable 17.13 Page 18 of 41 Manufactur Vehicle General External layout Additional info er Name description VAN A 308 E Electric The product was HOOL/BO midibus presented in 2015 at MBARDIER Busworld trade fair in Kortrijk, Belgium. Three buses were handed over to the Flanders public transport company, De Lijn http://delijn.prezly.com/1st -wirelessly-charged-fully- electric-buses-in-belgium- operate-in-bruges-48682

VDL CITEA Electric The product was electric standard bus presented in 2015 at (12 m) Busworld trade fair in Kortrijk ( Belgium) http://www.vdlbuscoach.co m

Deliverable 17.13 Page 19 of 41 Manufactur Vehicle General External layout Additional info er Name description VOLVO 7900 Electric The product was electric standard bus presented in 2015 at (12 m) Busworld trade fair in Kortrijk, Belgium. Three buses are tested since June 2015 in Gothenburg on the line 55. http://news.volvogroup.co m/2015/05/07/here-it-is- volvos-first-electric-bus/

Table 1 – Electric buses selected for the state-of-the-art design analysis

The review of innovative design solutions already implemented by worldwide bus manufacturers has led to some preliminary considerations about the status of electric bus design as well as some key questions that will guide the next steps of the design task. The outcomes of the analysis are summarized in tables, presented in the following sections, grouped according to experience domain they refer to, namely:  experience in the urban space and  experience on board.

Deliverable 17.13 Page 20 of 41 4.1.1 Experience in the urban space

IDENTITY & LEGIBILITY

Volume and general bodywork lines The electric bus is an evolution but the bodywork has not evolved in such a way that it reflects the stylistic cues of an electric vehicle. The electric bus remains a current bus, and the passengers or the cities authorities can hardly recognize immediately an electric vehicle without graphic addition to the bus body or without a different livery. On some vehicles technical components (batteries, especially) have been added without any general restructuration of the global vehicle architecture. As a result these components are mostly positioned on the roofs, with some outgrowths and fairings added to hide these elements. 4 main approaches exist among the manufacturers: 1. Classic bus bodywork with batteries roughly integrated in the roof, resulting a poor and unappealing finish. (in thepicture below, respectively, from left to right - BYD/K9, PVI, VAN HOOL/A308)

Deliverable 17.13 Page 21 of 41 2. Contemporary bodywork, with a refined way of integrating the batteries, which respects and takes into account the styling lines and the silhouette of the vehicle (in the picture below, respectively, from left to right: BOLLORÉ, SOLARIS, VOLVO).

3. To add perceived quality values to the bodywork, design cues from tramways are used, with a rounded front face. It mainly concerns articulated buses. In the picture below, respectively, from left to right: BYD, IVECO/Ellisup, VAN HOOL/Exqui City).

Deliverable 17.13 Page 22 of 41 4. Different and innovative bodywork, but its design does not reflect stylistic cues of an electric vehicle. In the picture below, respectively, from left to right: MAN, Tata Ultra Electric Bus Concept, MERCEDES-BENZ - self-driving Future Bus.

To summarize, none of the manufacturers seem to take into account the semiotic nor stylistic approach concerning the design codes and references, to which the bodywork of an electric bus can be related to.

Equipment : Optics In most cases, the headlights and taillights’ character reference the brands’ signature. Windows In terms of exterior design, the manufacturers who have an innovative and contemporary approach tend to give the impression of having wider windows by playing with the graphic livery and sculpting lines of the body. This is not unique to electric buses, but it is the general trend.

Deliverable 17.13 Page 23 of 41 ACCESSIBILITY

Single-story accessibility Width of the passages Access bar Some innovative manufacturers suggest elements to make boarding and unboarding the bus more user friendly (bus users with stroller, wheelchair etc.): 1. The ELLISUP bus concept from IVECO has the particularity of having 8 “small wheels”, amongst 4 are integrated-motor driving wheels. They are powered by Super-capacitor batteries. The floor is low and the bus has 3 single sliding doors. 2. The electric bus from VOLVO has an extra-wide door opening in the middle of the bus.

INFORMATION & PUBLICITY

Display The passengers information displays present some weaknesses in their quality and in their integration, making the vehicles sometimes rather anonymous in the streets although an immediate recognition of the bus service is compulsory:  Because of their costs, the digital destination displays have progressively disappeared from some sides of the vehicles (road side and sometimes backside); despite this evolution, the bus bodies should remain adapted to the integration of this information, especially because these displays will become cheaper, thinner and lighter.  The graphic quality of the dynamic displays themselves becomes generally worse with the use of very low quality typefaces, compared to those always used in printed edition. In parallel, the publicity function is rather well standardized, but country by country. Some countries still use short-term posted posters, and most countries use more lasting adhesive coverings. But in general the bus bodies don’t seem adapted to easily receive these visual additions, showing that the bus industry and the bus outdoor publicity industry are managed rather separately. E Ink Technology historically used for e-readers and small industrial displays (e.g. dynamic pricing labels) has been recently applied to

Deliverable 17.13 Page 24 of 41 passenger information systems, thank to:  robust services within a dynamic ecosystem;  industrialisation of the technology on travel terminals;  integration on personalised urban displays. The strengths of this technology are the low consumption, which allows the system to be charge through dedicated solar panel without the need to connect it to the urban electrical network; easy readability in daylight, easy integration and personalization with the urban furniture already in place, remote administration and monitoring.

4.1.2 Experience on board

SPACE PERCEPTION

Key concepts/features observed:  Overall volume  Circulations / flow  Platforms  Gangway Some innovative manufacturers change the interior layout settings:

Deliverable 17.13 Page 25 of 41 The ELLISUP bus concept from IVECO has the particularity of having 8 “small wheels”, amongst 4 are integrated-motor driving wheels. This helps to have more interior space compared to the classic buses where the motor occupies an important amount of interior space at the rear. Hence the IVECO ELLISUP interior capacity is increased in such a way that it can hold up to 10 to 20 % additional passengers

• The BUSINOVA from SAFRA has a chassis divided into two modules, one for the source of energy and the other for the passengers. With this double portico architecture with a suspended floor, a belvedere is created at the back of the vehicle.

Deliverable 17.13 Page 26 of 41 • The VOLVO electric bus an extra-wide door opening in the middle of the bus. There is a large open space with a low and flat floor to facilitate passengers with child buggies or wheelchairs.

INFORMATION & PUBLICITY

Display Despite a pivotal role for the passengers information function in public transportation, the physical integration of display onboard buses seems weaker than in old buses where only line maps were provided. Some features observed:  Because most of the screens and displays are furnished by independent makers as the bus manufacturers themselves, these objects are often added in the interior space of the bus without being completely integrated.  The different media used (dynamic screens or displays, fixed signage, printed maps, posted posters) are generally positioned without global design, as if the vehicles weren’t prepared for this purpose: the passengers don’t enjoy any “navigation dashboard” (as the driver) and must combine the printed and dynamic sources to be correctly informed.  In some cases the sizes of the bus interior panels appear smaller than necessary to welcome the displays.  The advertisement displays sometimes occupy major positions and play a disturbing role for the passengers information

Deliverable 17.13 Page 27 of 41 function. These difficulties are caused by a lack of standardization of the passengers information function in the European bus world. Operators and authorities together with bus manufacturers must cope with the quick evolution of the communication means, ensuring a global trend toward digitalization.

COMFORT

Key concepts/features observed:  Seats  Grab bar  Materials & Finish  Lighting Generally speaking, THE ELECTRIC BUS REMAINS A BUS. The equipment chosen for on board comfort (like the seats, the seats’ fabric, the grab bars…) are very often quite basic and characterized by low perceived quality when compared to the new generation of tramway or metro. This means that the bus interiors are not treated with the aim to furnish hospitality and domesticity, although the size and the scale of the space naturally suggest this objective.

LIGHTING

Key concepts/features observed:  Lighting effects  Sources  Color variations  “Nudging”  Functional lighting  Graphic insistence on some points (zoning)

Deliverable 17.13 Page 28 of 41 The arrival of LED technology has significantly improved the interior lighting of buses. Overall, LED technology, thanks to its low energy consumption and reduced maintenance costs, has enabled manufacturers to improve the level and quality of lighting in vehicles. However, light designers expertise is needed to strengthen the opportunities offered by LED technology. LED lighting concepts developed by manufacturers tend to meet several objectives:  Allow an intensity variation depending on the external brightness to ensure a satisfactory lighting continuously.  Allow a variation of intensity inside the bus to improve the flows by encouraging passengers not to stay in front but to spread across the vehicle.  Allow under-seat lighting to contribute to safety and improve accessibility.  Allow color variations to create ambient lighting.

Color variations inside the Lion’s City E (MAN)

Deliverable 17.13 Page 29 of 41 4.2 Users’ experience

Introduction Beyond the consideration of key vectors for renewal of the identity, accessibility and space perception of the bus, it is paramount to consider and to integrate in the new e-bus design guidelines, existing user behaviors patterns.

The user experience of a bus is shaped not only by the bus as an object (spaces, product design, interior design) and by the bus as a sign (identity, perception, imagery). The daily experience of this transportation mode is also determined by the social and cultural practices that happen every day on the bus as a place of life. As such, positioning patterns of users, socialization practices and communication practices have to be carefully considered and integrated by the e-bus in order to design a better bus experience altogether.

It seems important to remind that, beyond technological improvements, the development of a new type of (e)-bus is an opportunity to imagine new designs and new spaces for the bus, which is an artefact which remains very close to its first, original designs. For this purpose, a good understanding of how the bus is used today as a social object is key to develop design guidelines aimed at proposing more pertinent customer experiences and, eventually, increase the acceptance of mass transit system by bus.

A survey of social practices and user behaviors on the buses What follows is a survey of key user behaviors observed in two key European markets (Milan and Paris, nov. 2015) illustrating social practices that make the specificity of the experience of this type of urban transportation.

We have divided insights into four non-exhaustive categories that help appreciate the multifariousness of the usages of the bus. Each category raises some specific challenges, opportunities and issues that renewed design guidelines should consider.

Deliverable 17.13 Page 30 of 41 1# Positioning practices - Social Stretching: a public ritual performed by many just before getting off highlights the public dimension of the bus and public transportation experience.

- Uneven usages of spaces: with bags, trolleys, caddies, luggage and other objects …

- … as well as wheelchairs and strollers.

Issues and opportunities: - What balance between circulation spaces and spaces for static positions (seated or not) to cater to existing needs and allow new positive behaviors? - What new types and configurations of spaces can be imagined to include deviant usages and ensure safety and comfort at all times?

Deliverable 17.13 Page 31 of 41 - What new spaces can be imagined and tested to favor the emergence of new social practices? - Does the bus cater for everyone’s need? “Mother holding children”

Deliverable 17.13 Page 32 of 41 #2 Socialization practices - In your bubble: whatever the position or the place in the bus, people often focus on individual activities, often turning to entertainment. This happens across ages, places and social groups.

- Individual entertainment / communication: is the key activity in the bus. Encompassing both digital and non-digital technologies, these practices are widely observed and make the most of the user experience on the bus (partly thanks to the availability of the mobile network).

- Collective activities: less frequent but existing, collective activities are part of the bus experience, being, on the one hand, allowed by the spaces and configurations in the bus and, on the other hand, discouraged by the social pressure of others towards individual comfort.

Deliverable 17.13 Page 33 of 41 #3 Communication practices - Communication with others, away: in addition to group communication and socialization practices, communication practices with others have become commonplace in today’s bus life.

Deliverable 17.13 Page 34 of 41 - Non communication practices: however, what is perhaps most interesting to notice is that the need and behaviors for non communication are equally strong in the bus, despite the discourse on ubiquitous connection and communication. Is this a specificity of the bus, a calmer interlude to the fast-paced urban life?

Issues and opportunities: - What design can help achieve a balance between socialization behaviors and the need for non-communication? - What balance between individual comfort and opportunities for socialization? - What kind of entertainment services could and should appear in the e-bus? - What kind of ancillary services could and should be developed in accordance with existing usages of personal devices?

The user experience of the bus at the intersection of object, sign, social practices and the environment :

Future bus design principles will have to take into careful consideration issues and opportunities arising from today’s usages (and non-usages) of the bus.

« Outside »

Deliverable 17.13 Page 35 of 41 4.3 Building the design innovation model The approach developed by the design group to identify the key areas for innovation to be investigated in the EBSF_2 Design Charter, has being organized in two phases: 1. Building a matrix crossing the expectations of the key stakeholders (passengers, cities, operators/authorities and manufacturers) with the identified customers situations (experience on board and experience in the urban space). The goal of the matrix (Figure 2) is to have a tool able to represent with a systemic view the general problem to be explored by taking into account all the functional needs the system has to meet to fulfil the expectations of the 4 categories of stakeholders. The cells of the matrix shows the objectives which can be served by a good design approach. The matrix has been designed as a tool to gather reactions and generate recommendations. For this purpose, it has been presented and discussed with several representatives of the bus world thanks to the participation of the members of the design group in conferences and workshops (e.g. 6th European Transport Research Conference) as well UITP working bodies meetings (UITP Bus Committee, UITP Marketing Commission). The full list of events where the work of the EBSF_2 Design Group has been presented is reported in Annex 2.

The areas identified as relevant to innovate e-buses through design concepts and solutions are show in Figure 1.

Figure 1 – Key areas for design innovation

Deliverable 17.13 Page 36 of 41 2. Prioritizing the key topics and focusing the Design Brief on a few basic design principles, thanks to the analysis of the matrix.

Figure 2 – Design Charter Matrix

Deliverable 17.13 Page 37 of 41 5 Partners’ Contribution

Company Sections Description of the partner contribution Attoma All Analysis, Contribution to Content, Review of content MAN All Analysis, Contribution to Content, Review of content RATP All Analysis, Contribution to Content, Review of content UITP All Merging contributions, Contribution to Content, Review of content, Quality check. Yellow Window All Analysis, Contribution to Contents, Review of contents

Deliverable 17.13 Page 38 of 41 6 CONCLUSIONS: key research questions

The preparatory work performed by the Design Group during the first half of the project’s life- time has led to the identification of some key research questions the EBSF_2 Design Charter is committed to answer.

ANALYSIS SUMMARY - EXTERIOR DESIGN 6. How to define the concept keywords for an innovative European electric bus body? 7. How to rethink the bus architecture to blend the batteries onboard the bus, to make them more discrete? In the roof or under a raised floor? 8. How to make the bus more transparent (and at the same time protecting its passengers)? The height and width of the windows? 9. How to make the boarding and unboarding of the bus less time-consuming? Width of the doors? Low floor? 10. How to integrate better the information displays and the publicity displays? 11. How to use/balance external lighting for security, passengers information, signature and advertisement?

ANALYSIS SUMMARY - INTERIOR DESIGN 1. How to define the concept keywords for an innovative European electric bus interior? 2. How to optimize the capacity of standing passengers without downgrading their comfort? Which type of architecture? 3. How to improve the visibility and transparency in order put forward the panoramic view of the city? Height and width of the windows? Windows positioned on the edge of the ceiling (veranda window)? 4. How to increase the feeling of being secured and comfortable? Energy saving LED lighting? 5. How to consider the different uses of the interior space? Giving to the passengers the choice of spaces? By choosing different body postures? 6. How to generate a better global quality in passengers’ information? 7. How to improve the perceived quality of the onboard environment (mainly to match the more silent operation of the vehicle)? New materials; detailing, surfacing, coloring, visual touch?

Deliverable 17.13 Page 39 of 41 ANNEX 1

List of conferences and workshops where the approach of the EBSF_2 Design Charters has been presented and discussed with bus stakeholders: 1. 6th European Transport Research Conference, 18-21 April 2016, Warsaw 2. II° Convegno nazionale Sistema Gomma 2016, 5-6 May 2016, Rome 3. UITP Bus Committe Meeting, 12-13 May 2016, Prague 4. UITP Marketing and Product Development Commission, 30-31 May 2016, Gothenburg 5. Transports Publics 2016, Thematic workshop: Europe: what policy, what projects and what funds?, 14 June 2016, Paris 6. UITP Design and Culture Platform, 23-24 June 2016, Brussels 7. UITP Design and Culture Platform, 7-8 December 2016, Brussels 8. UTP ((Union des Transports Publics), Technical, Operational and Sustainable Development Commission, 13 December 2016, Paris.

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