The Zero Emission Bus (ZEB) Conference returns this October alongside Busworld Europe. Hundreds of European bus and coach operators, manufacturers, and policy makers will gather in Brussels to discuss the road to zero emission. A central aim of the conference is to accelerate the adoption of zero emission buses and coaches and in doing so, to pave the way for a greener urban landscape. New in this edition will be the special attention for zero emission long distance and tourism coaches.
Gain insights from an impressive lineup of 70+ esteemed expert speakers from across the globe who will tackle technological, economic and policy-related topics affecting zero-emission buses and coaches across the four half-day agenda. From political bodies with representatives from the European Commission and national governments, experienced bus and coach operators as well as transport authorities (Transdev, TfL, RATP, Translink, TMB Barcelona, STIB-MVIB, EMT Madrid, SASA – Bolzano, Vervoerregio, Flixbus, Ruter, MZK Konin, Qbuzz, Keolis, OV-bureau Groningen Drenthe, GoAhead group, Foothill Transit, etc.), industry/operators/mayoral associations and bodies including ICCT, IRU, C40, AVERE, GPN, France Hydrogène, HUMDA, ZEMO Partnership and CTE and a variety of OEMs and infrastructure providers from the whole zero-emission bus supply chain.
Conference content is designed to cover all aspects of a full fleet transition.
The ZEB 2023 program focuses on zero tailpipe emission technologies: battery electric buses and fuel cell electric buses. Scaling up ZEB fleets will be the key topic during the first three days (9th, 10th, and 11th of October) dedicated to inter-city buses and where a wide range of topics will be addressed from the available financing and funding options, business models and TCO/economics of ZEBs, to the technical requirements of operating and maintaining ZEB fleets. New to this fifth edition of the conference will be a day dedicated (on 12th October) to the emerging zero emission coach market focusing on customers’ needs, initial deployment, first experiences of zero emission coaches, and associated opportunities and challenges.
Unparalleled networking opportunities
This year’s edition promises even more networking opportunities: ZEB 2023 is occurring alongside the Busworld Europe exhibition, which counts 500+ exhibitors including the 80 biggest bus manufacturers. Four half days give attendees plenty of opportunities to visit the Innovation Showcases at Busworld, where the cutting-edge technologies and solutions driving the rapid evolution of zero emission buses, and discussed in the conference, will be on display.
A dedicated networking dinner on Tuesday 10th October will allow attendees to connect with OEMs and infrastructure providers from the whole zero-emission bus supply chain as well as leading organisations and operators fostering valuable partnerships and exchange of ideas.
This edition will the fifth edition of the European Zero Emission Bus Conference
ZEB 2023 is being organized by Element Energy (an ERM Group Company) in partnership with Busworld Foundation. Due to this partnership, the ZEB Conference will be held at Busworld Europe. This brings considerable benefits for attendees – as what attendees will “hear” about during the conference, they will “see” at the exhibition. All ZEB attendees gain free entrance to the Busworld Europe exhibition.
Following the conference, ZEB 2023 attendees will benefit from receiving a summarized report with the key insights from the conference.
This European Zero Emission Bus Conference follows successful editions in London in 2016, Cologne 2018, online in 2020 (ZEBINARS) and in Paris in 2021. The fourth edition held in Paris in November 2021 attracted 400 attendees from the zero-emission bus sector.
Accelerating the decarbonisation of public transport is critical to achieving ambitious net-zero targets. In a recent whitepaper on the status of the zero-emission bus sector, Mike Dolman, Partner at conference organiser Element Energy (an ERM Group company) noted
“While the growth of the zero-emission bus market has been significant, with ZEBs now accounting for approximately 30% of new sales in Europe, the vast majority of the bus fleet still relies on fossil fuels. Collaboration and dissemination of lessons and best practice is crucial to accelerate the transition to zero emission bus fleets. This is why we have organised the Zero Emission Bus Conferences, a series of events which bring together policy makers, bus operators, and industry representatives to share insights, discuss key issues and form the new partnerships needed for the sector to achieve the transition to clean buses that we all want to see… It promises to be a very interesting and informative event and we look forward to welcoming a diverse range of stakeholders from across Europe and beyond.”
Keynote and panel speakers for this edition include:
Political bodies (representatives from the European Commission and national governments)
- Axel Volkery – Deputy Head of Unit Sustainable and Intelligent Transport, DG MOVE
- Daniel Mes – Member of Frans Timmermans’ Cabinet and Executive Vice President for the European Green Deal, European Commission
- Elke Van den Brandt – Brussels’ Minister of Mobility, Public Works and Road Safety
- Ian Jennings – Senior Specialist Urban Transport, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
- Jascha Lackner – Bus Programme Manager, NOW GmbH
- Klaus Bonhoff – Head of Department Policy Affairs, Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, German
- Kristoffer Tamsons – Vice-chairman of the Swedish Public Transport Association, Sweden
- Lydia Peeters – Flemish Minister of Mobility and Public Works
- Mirela Atanasiu – Executive Director ad int. Clean Hydrogen JU
- Richard Ferrer – Head of Alternative Fuel Sector, CINEA
- Ruud Kempener – Cabinet member, Commissioner for Energy, European Commission
Experienced bus and coach operators/transport authorities
- Antoine Grange – CEO Europe, Transdev
- Bernt Reitan Jenssen – CEO, Ruter As
- Brieuc de Meeûs – CEO, STIB-MIVB
- Bruno Lapeyrie – Director, Centre of Expertise Energy Transition – Bus, Keolis
- Daniel Zellinger – Team Lead Bus Fleet Strategy, FLIX
- François Warnier de Wailly – Director of the Bus 2025 Programme, RATP Group
- Gerrit Spijksma – CEO, Qbuzz
- Louis Rambaud – Strategy and Transformation Director, Go-Ahead Group
Industry and mobility associations
- Agnes Pastuszak – President, Global Passenger Network (GPN)
- Antoine Herteman – President, AVERE-France
- Philippe Vangeel – Secretary General, AVERE
- Stasa Mrdovic – Manager Passenger Transport, IRU
- Valérie Bouillon-Delporte – 1st Vice President and Coordinator of the Mobility Group, France Hydrogene
- Virág Mészáros – CEO, HUMDA (Hungarian Mobility Development Agency)
… and sponsor organisations covering the whole ZEB supply chain from bus OEMs to infrastructure and service providers.
See the website for the full line-up
Participants to the European ZEB conferences come from all around Europe and the world. Please find below a non-exhaustive list of participant from previous editions (organizations already mentioned above have not been repeated below): Department for Transport representatives from several countries, European Commission, EMT Valencia, First Bus, WSW mobil – Wuppertal, Syndicat Mixte des Transports Urbains de Pau, Transports Publics Neuchâtelois, Movia, Tower Transit, OVB, Miejski Zakład Komunikacji Wejherowo, Brighton & Hove Buses, Metrobus, Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund, Rheinbahn AG Düsseldorf, ESWE-Verkehr, Rigas Satiksme , Jelgavas Autobusu Parks , DeLijn, Regionalverkehr Köln, City of Tarragona, Ville de Luxembourg, Government of Ljubljana/Slovenia, Region Nordjylland, City of Copenhagen, City of Cologne, North Denmark region, City of Zagreb, Municipality of Torres Vedras, Province South Holland, NeoT Green Moblity, Société General, IVECO, Wrightbus, Jema Energy, Volvo, Honda, Everfuel , MAN, Faurecia, Forsee Power, Air Liquide, Enel X, Heliox, Engie, Cummins, Alstom, Daimler, Nel, Shell, etc.
Don’t miss out on this unique gathering of minds and innovations. Secure your spot today by registering on our Registration page.
Find out more on the conference website Zero Emission Bus Conference | Brussels, 9-12th October 2023 (zebconference.eu) and social media – LinkedIn (European ZEB Conference | LinkedIn) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/EUZEBconference)
