The “Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe” (Basel Transport Services) have launched a pioneering project: the aim is for the entire vehicle fleet to be running on 100% renewable energy by the end of 2027. Daniel Schütz, the project leader, knows that many new challenges arise during a project of this size. It is therefore very important to have flexible partners.
At Basel Transport Services, we have launched an ambitious 2027 bus programme. Our aim, and also legal mandate, is get our entire bus fleet running on 100% renewable energy by the end of 2027. It quickly became clear that simply replacing the buses wouldn’t be enough. We would need to build a comprehensive charging infrastructure within our existing facilities. We realised that our current parking facility was unsuitable for this purpose. The core assignment to convert the buses to 100% renewable energy therefore became a comprehensive infrastructure project. The goal now is to procure 126 electric buses, build a new garage with space for 144 vehicles and set up the overall charging infrastructure. My task is to ensure that all these elements combine effectively so that the entire programme can be completed by the end of 2027 as planned.
One of the biggest challenges from the outset was the lack of a blueprint for such a project. As the first public transport operator to convert its entire vehicle fleet, including the charging infrastructure, we were entering unfamiliar territory with lots of unknown factors.
The format of the HESS buses resolves our capacity constraints
The vehicle size was a critical factor. HESS provided us with the best offer for the double-articulated bus. I particularly appreciate the fact that the format of the HESS buses enables us to resolve our capacity constraints. That would not have been possible with smaller buses. Their technology is highly competitive. You can tell that the buses are a Swiss product from a Swiss SME. This can be seen in the company’s ability to respond quickly when the need arises. HESS is very flexible and can make decisions quickly. That’s a major advantage, particularly in the event of technical changes, which are very difficult to implement from a certain point in the project. HESS offers this flexibility and we are pleased to have a small, flexible company as our partner.
A local service partner and efficient management of replacement parts are important to us. This means that the company must be able to deliver replacement parts quickly. Employee training is also very important to us. The increasing technologisation of vehicles means that support is growing in importance. As well as on-site support, it must also be possible to call upon remote specialists. This support chain must be reliable, with specialists who can react within hours and also be on site as required. HESS has a clear advantage here.
Flexibility, solution orientation and pragmatism
If I had to describe HESS in three phrases, I would say: flexibility in taking on tasks, solution orientation and a pragmatic approach. HESS adapts many technologies from the market, which are already mature. Yet the company also has its own in-house developments. HESS is aware of the quality of its products and did everything to implement them successfully, so that we can deliver optimum performance. There were, of course, also challenges, particularly in areas of competence that lay outside of the company. Overall, I would say that HESS is a respected Swiss SME with an outstanding product. The company makes every effort to ensure that it meets the needs of its customers in a timely manner.
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