Full of power: Electric mobility to gain new impetus in 2018 – including in public transportation

“Too expensive,” “not fully developed,” or “range too low” – electric motors were not considered a serious alternative to existing combustion engines – including in mass transit. But all that is changing: Electromobility is supposed to reduce the constantly growing NO2 and particulate matter pollution in German cities and help to avoid driving bans.

Individual and sustainable solutions must be created for the awarding of such innovative mass transit projects, since the battery and range of electric vehicles depend heavily on external factors. In mountainous and particularly cold areas in winter, batteries are under more stress. In areas with a lot of sunshine, it can be charged more easily and cleanly. In addition, it is not sufficient to simply buy electric cars or buses. It is much better to procure available e-mobility, including charging infrastructure and guarantees of range and energy consumption.
 
The public sector also relied on innovative vehicle drives. The Public Sector & Public Procurement Practice Group of Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek, in particular the team led by Dr. Ute Jasper, designs and supports the pilot projects in Germany:

• Full conversion to electric buses in the state capital of Wiesbaden. The city's transport company has just received the NUMBR1 Award, a prize for sustainable urban mobility in metropolitan areas, for the project of a completely emission-free urban transport system.
• Emission-free trains on the routes from Essen to Borken and Coesfeld for VRR and NWL from 2020 onwards
• RRX – first project of energy-efficient trains in Germany
• Emission-free trains with innovative drive technology in network 8 in Baden-Württemberg

Additional information is available in the articles of the Practice Group's specialized lawyers and in our seminars:

• Inexpensive buses and trains are too expensive, Nahverkehrspraxis 9/10-2017
• Fast, flexible, economical – invitations to bid for electric vehicles, Behörden Spiegel, September 2017
• Purchase buses and trains economically – Why the most inexpensive vehicle is not always the most economical, Nahverkehrspraxis, November/December 2016
• Procurement of vehicles with innovative drive systems, in Stuttgart (January 26, 2018), Munich (February 07, 2018), Frankfurt (January 31, 2018)

If you visit our offices, you may of course charge your electric car in our underground parking garage.