Buses are boring right? Not any more. Faced with 200,000 people dying of air pollution yearly and rocketing oil imports, China will make 10 million school buses and 1.6 million large buses electric. The resulting ultra-low cost base will let its bus makers flood the world. Nonetheless, the emerging global market for hybrid and pure electric buses at over $100 billion yearly in 2025 will have much variety and opportunities for everyone.
The new report, Electric Buses 2015-2025 from analysts IDTechEx makes it clear that, at over 20% of the total future hybrid and pure electric vehicle value market, the bus forecasts must be taken seriously by those seeking leadership in the market overall not just the rest of us that travel on the things.
The report explains how the technology is completely changing so new suppliers will enter new value chains. For example, it looks at diesel versus regular hybrids, plug-in hybrids, fuel cell buses and the pure electric battery and supercapacitor buses.
It notes that a recent order for 2,000 pure electric large buses and others at the thousand level sit awkwardly with the popular understanding that massive price and pitiful range make them little more than a distant dream. Uniquely, this report, replete with summary figures, diagrams, sales forecasts and technology roadmaps makes the very latest situation and trends lucid.
The report assesses over 100 bus manufacturers and over 140 manufacturers of lithium-based batteries. Fuel cell bus trials over the last 25 years and plans for them in future are examined in detail. It also includes forecasts by technology, region and bus size, as well as by number and market value. The report provides comparison figures for light commercial vehicles and large buses, including conventional ones are given, and a technology roadmap for 2015-2025.
