Under the legislation, city buses will have to achieve zero emissions by 2035.
Almost one in two new buses (49%) sold in Europe in 2024 were zero-emission (electric or hydrogen), exceeding targets set by the European Union for CO2 standards for buses, according to the NGO Transport and Environment (T&E).
"The success of zero-emission buses is due to European regulations, which have made it clear to the market that diesel's days are numbered," said Marie Cheron, an expert with T&E France.
Under the legislation, city buses will have to achieve zero emissions by 2035.
"If current growth continues, 100% of new urban buses purchased in 2027 will be zero-emission," T&E noted, AFP reported.
Several measures also encourage the development of electric and hydrogen engines to the detriment of diesel, such as the low-emission zones decreed by municipalities.
However, differences exist across Europe, T&E notes. In 2024, three countries purchased 100% of new electric buses. These are the Netherlands, Iceland and Finland.
Norway and Luxembourg are not far behind, with 99% and 98% of new electric buses registered in 2024, respectively.
"Estonia has a particularly fast transition: 84% new electric buses in 2024 compared to 0% in 2023," T&E boasts.
France, on the other hand, lags behind, with only 33% of electric city buses registered in 2024, below the EU average (46%).
One possible explanation for this lag lies in the choice made by some local authorities, such as Ile-de-France, to opt for gas and biogas. With 39% of new buses set to run on gas by 2024, France is one of the leading countries opting for this energy source.
"The high share of gas (including biogas) in new bus registrations in France should be closely monitored. It could become a trap for local authorities as it delays their transition to zero-emission technologies", which "could prove costly" in the long run, warned Marie Cheron.
Germany is also lagging behind, with 25% of new buses electric, while Spain (57%) and the UK (56%), Europe's other major bus markets, are ahead.
At the bottom of the ranking are Greece (9%), Lithuania (5%), Hungary (4%) and Slovakia (0%). | BGNES