Busslink has a long history of working with non-fossil fuels and today it has the world’s largest bus fleet running on them. Out of 1,200 buses serving Stockholm County, 554 use alternative fuels. Out of these, 426 run on ethanol and 129 on methane, or biogas, produced locally from waste water.

Busslink is also exploring the use of biodiesel. Biodiesel can be mixed with regular diesel fuel but to reduce CO2 emissions further, it is testing using 100% biodiesel in 11 vehicles. In 2010, Busslink run 119 vehicles on 100% biodiesel in Gothenburg on Sweden’s west coast.

The company is also about to explore the use of hybrid buses and electric vehicles. Hybrid buses can increase fuel efficiency by up to 30% in city traffic.
Busslink has also introduced a training programme on how to drive more efficiently. The target is to reduce fuel consumption by more than 4% on the total fleet, although some drivers have realized up to 10% in fuel savings.

Busslink has also equipped its buses with computers and screens that monitor in real-time how efficiently a conductor is driving and other information about bus performance.

Breathe easy:

• Ethanol can reduce emissions of green house gases by 55%
• Methane can reduce emissions of green house gases by 85%
• Biodiesel can reduce emissions of green house gases by 65%