SWEDEN

The climate scam: Electric buses are charged with diesel generators
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A new climate scam with electric buses is now being rolled out, this time in Gävle and Sandviken. In secret, the electric buses are charged with generators that run on dirty diesel. The important thing is not the climate impact in itself, but that it looks like the travelers are traveling climate smart, according to the bus company's management.

X-trafik in Gävle and Sandviken is just one of many bus companies in Sweden that have invested heavily in electric buses to signal climate awareness. And like most who have done this, it has hit travelers when it turns out that the technology comes with serious childhood illnesses that have resulted in canceled tours, freezing buses and high costs to taxpayers for buses that cannot be used.

X-trafik's purchase of 52 expensive electric buses has been labeled a "fiasco" in the media reporting, with hundreds of trips canceled due to technical problems, which Samnytt reported on earlier.

One thing that those responsible for the purchases did not think about is that electric buses need to be charged. In Gävle and Sandviken there are far from enough sockets where you can plug in the electrical plug. And even if such were to be installed, the electrical infrastructure in the cities is not designed for the purpose.


The solution: Charge with diesel
But now X-trafik's management has come up with a solution. Electric generators have been purchased to charge the buses. However, these are powered by dirty diesel, with the result that the climate-friendly effect is not achieved.

The dirty loading has taken place in secret, without the travelers' knowledge. This until now when the scam is revealed by Gefle Dagblad .

If X-trafik had instead chosen to purchase traditional diesel-powered buses, the climate effect would have been the same, but with the difference that all technical problems, canceled tours and extra costs for purchasing diesel generators to charge the buses were avoided.


Important to signal climate awareness
At X-trafik, however, they do not think this is a big problem. The most important thing is not the climate impact in itself, they reason, but that the company signals climate awareness outwardly and that travelers "get their rides" with buses that they believe contribute to saving the climate.

It is also hoped to get more charging capacity in place in the not-too-distant future so that the diesel units can be phased out, but it is "not something that can be done in the blink of an eye", they state. Those responsible do not want to report the cost of this.

- Of course there have been extra costs, I don't want to comment on any sums, says Fredrik Beckius, business manager for the operator Transdev Sverige AB, which is responsible for the electric bus operation.