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The ACTUATE e-mobility project has released a programme for public transport operators that teaches its staff how to drive clean vehicles safely and in ways that save energy.
 
The multi-lingual training materials- aimed at trolleybus, hybrid bus and tram drivers – describe the benefits of cleaner vehicles and how their systems work; offer guidelines on practical driver training; and explain how to operate the vehicles safely and in the event of an accident.

The training programmes(link is external) were tested on over 1 500 public transport drivers in Salzburg (Austria), Eberswalde and Leipzig (Germany), Parma (Italy) and Brno (Czech Republic).

The results of the tests were positive. In the case of Leipzig, ACTUATE says that eco-driving can reduce the fuel consumption of the city’s hybrid fleet by 5 per cent.

Eco-driving techniques can also save energy and money when applied to conventionally fuelled vehicles.

As trained drivers in Leipzig would also operate diesel buses, ACTUATE modelling shows that eco-driving could potentially save the German city 225 000 litres of diesel and € 280 000 a year.

ACTUATE, co-funded by the EU’s Intelligent Energy Europe Programme, has also established a series of online eco-driving courses.

 
Original author: Wolfgang Backhaus