Evobus Mercedes & Setra, MAN & Neoplan, IVECO, Scania and Volvo now cooperate with EACT and the Swedish National Coach Organization

The European Coach Operators are today a very large group of companies, amounting to some 65.000 entities. The total number of vehicles in the joint fleet is about 250.000, with a turnover of some 270 Billion of Euro.

The European Alliance for Coach Tourism (EACT) represents the interests of Coach Tour operators in Germany, France, Italy, Ireland, Hungary, Belgium, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

The coach tourism industry across Europe directly employs a substantial number of people in the tourism sector through, coach drivers, tour guides, and sales advisors to administrative and engineering employees. All of these jobs are solely dependent on the success of the coach tourism sector which carries millions of customers every year. The total number of persons employed in this sector is about one million, but considering all indirect jobs created, a total of seven million employees can be counted. One travel gives seven jobs…

Currently across the EU there are a number of artificial barriers which limit the expansion of tourism by coach. One of the main challenge in the near future is the environmental issues affecting the coach business.

European standards play a very important role within the European Union Internal Market, for instance through the use of harmonised standards in the presumption of conformity of products to be made available on the market with the essential requirements relating to those products laid down in the relevant Union harmonisation legislation.

Modern coaches with diesel engines are the most environmental friendly vehicles, however this will not be enough. The demand for almost emission free engines is growing. The hydrogen engines could after the next decade be a replacement. But in the meantime, there are very environmentally friendly fuel replacing diesel. These are the synthetic GTL/BTL/HVO fuels which fulfils the EN15940 standard. CEN (European Committee for standardisation) had approved in September 2016 an amendment to EN 15490 to cover the manufacture of these alternative fuels so that manufacturers could easier approve their use in their vehicles.

For the European Bus Manufacturers, the coach business is substantial, and it’s natural and important to support any activity that can gain the Coach Operators short and long term. Evobus Mercedes & Setra, MAN & Neoplan, IVECO, Scania and Volvo now cooperate with EACTin various matters that can improve the Coach business. They support that the GTL/BTL/HVO fuels according to EN15940 can be used in all buses from Euro-3 to -6, without any engine adjustments.

No EU country can refuse coaches using GTL/BTL/HVO synthetic diesel as vehicle

fuel when entering cities or regions, including environmental zones, as ruled by the

European Court of Justice the 15 October 2015, and fulfilling the EN 15940 standard

of the European Union ”Fuel Quality Directive” (FQD). The exhaust emissions

(CO2and NOx) will almost be eliminated with the GTL/BTL/HVO fuel.

There are growing number of countries which are adopting to the new rules. Sweden, has a practical solution which can be introduced with very, very short time. Since over 20 years they have used it in all kind of sensible area like in mines (Kiruna 900m deep) and thousands of buses and trucks.The Dutch state owned transport company Co-bus are in all their vehicles using GTL. Their ships on river Rheine have to have either GTL, BTL or HVO.

There are around 15 producers of the GTL/BTL/HVO fuel in Europe. The distribution infrastructure of these can quickly be expanded throughout EU to satisfy any demand increase, according to the producers.

Contact in Sweden Sveriges Bussresearrangörer / Swedish national Coach Organization
Chairman Toni Schönfelder tel 031 301 70 30 ts@swedishbus.se