October 11, 2024
Low- and middle-income countries suffer disproportionately from transport-generated pollution. This is due, in part, to the unfettered use of old and inefficient vehicles as well as a lack of public and active transport networks. It is increasingly clear that the electrification of transport modes will have a major role to play in significantly cutting GHG emissions and particulate matter from the transport sector. Electrification of transportation systems, like buses, offers an important approach in the fight against climate change. To be completely clean, electric vehicles must be plugged into a green grid, yet even under a high-carbon grid, well-to-wheel emissions of electric buses have 30 percent fewer CO2 emissions than diesel buses. With electrification, the average grid sees more than 50 percent savings.
We need to shift away from fossil fuel-powered vehicle dependence and toward clean fuels, public transport, and walkable land-use patterns. This is critical as global temperatures continue to rise. Achieving wider adoption of e-buses will require more effective communication of the value proposition of e-buses to decision-makers; improved planning and implementation, including operations and charging; and dissemination of best practices in bus procurement and financing. In addition, there is potential for positive spill-over effects to other vehicles, such as heavy-duty freight, if success with e-buses can be achieved at scale. Electric two and three-wheelers (bikes, scooters, motorcycles, rickshaws, etc.) are another important part of the solution, particularly for shorter trips, as they offer significant local air quality and climate benefits.
