The bus in the Netherlands and Belgium will be powered by compressed biogas and produced by Iveco; the vehicle in Scandinavia will be supplied by Scania and will run on liquefied biogas. Flixbus is collaborating with gas providers Orangegas and Gasum on the project. Calculations by the organization Atmosfair show a CO2 reduction of around 75 percent compared to diesel operation on both routes. André Schwämmlein, co-founder and CEO of Flixmobility, says about the project:
"After a very challenging year and a half, people's desire to travel is gradually increasing again. Sustainable travel is particularly important to us, and we want to send a clear message: Biogas is one of the most important technologies for making travel as environmentally friendly as possible today. We want to be a pioneer in alternative propulsion systems for long-haul travel."
Biogas, e-buses and hydrogen propulsion
By testing various alternative fuels, the Munich-based company aims to assess how the technologies are accepted by bus partners and passengers. It also aims to evaluate operational limitations, benefits, and potential impacts on operating costs.
The mobility company has long strived to ensure environmentally friendly operation of its vehicles. Since 2018, Flixbus fully electric long-distance buses in Germany, France and the USA. Together with the company Freudenberg they want to build the first hydrogen long-distance busA bus traveling between London and Dortmund is equipped with solar panels, which help save around 7 percent of fuel on this route. Flixtrain trains are powered by green electricity. Schwämmlein says:
"Together with our bus, industry, and NGO partners, we aim to continually improve our carbon footprint and drive transformative change in the mobility sector through cross-sector partnerships. Political and societal attention to the mobility transition, investments, and the right political incentives to develop even more alternative fuels and infrastructure are particularly important."
