According to our survey, passengers find electric buses appealing particularly because of their environmental benefits. Over 90 percent of the respondents regarded the environmental benefits of electric buses as a key issue.
As many as 86 percent thought that electric buses are quieter than other types of buses, and two-thirds of the respondents were of the opinion that electric buses vibrate less than other buses. More than half of the respondents thought that travelling on an electric bus is more enjoyable compared to other buses.
Additionally, over half of the respondents thought that electric buses should have a distinct visual appearance. In August, HSL introduced fully electric articulated buses on trunk bus routes 20, 30 and 40. You can identify trunk route buses by their orange color.
Electric buses appeal to drivers as well
More than 90 percent of the bus drivers who took the survey were of the opinion that electric buses are quieter than other buses. Approximately 80 percent of the drivers said that they would rather drive an electric bus.
Some 75 percent of the drivers thought that electric buses vibrate less than other types of buses. More than half of the drivers felt less stressed during their workday when driving an electric bus.
Between 18 and 22 October, we conducted a survey on electric buses aimed at passengers and drivers. Passengers and drivers of electric buses in downtown Helsinki were handed cards with a link (QR code) to the survey. Over 500 passengers and more than 20 bus drivers took the survey.
“The results from the survey indicate that there is a demand for electric buses,” says Project Manager Ville Uusi-Rauva. ”We are planning to answer to this demand by quickly increasing the number of electric buses used by HSL in the near future. Our goal is that approximately one-third of all buses used by HSL are electric by 2025.”