Impact of Changing Bus Propulsion Systems Based on EU-Funded Projects on the Total Cost of Ownership and Social Evaluation of Urban Transport Travel—Analysis Results

This article presents a summary of an analysis, conducted by a Research Team (The Team consisted of CEUTP experts Edyta Boratyńska-Karpiej, Dariusz Giziński, Anna Kiwiel, Marta Lorczyk. Expert supervision was exercised by Paweł Engel) from the Centre for EU Transport Projects, on the total cost of ownership and efficiency (TCO) of urban buses. The study was based on projects funded by European Union (EU) under the Operational Programme Infrastructure and Environment 2014–2020. It comes as no surprise that the value of the ownership and operating costs of urban buses depends on the type of propulsion system. Electric-powered vehicles, for instance, require batteries to be replaced during the life of the bus. Operators considering the purchase low-emission vehicles should factor in the cost of additional infrastructure for electric buses which often includes adapting depots or bus stops to install charging facilities. The TCO provides an estimate of the total vehicle costs associated with purchase, use and decommissioning over the entire life cycle. In addition to the TCO, public survey was conducted to gather citizens’ views on the changes in urban bus propulsion systems funded by the EU.