About the Document
This is a study published in 2019 in the International Journal of Production Management and Engineering (IJPME), authored by G. Fernández Sánchez, E. Pilkington González and T. Sánchez Chaparro, with the first listed author affiliated with the Empresa Municipal de Transportes de Madrid (EMT), and Sánchez Chaparro with the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. The EMT-Madrid is owned by the Madrid City Council and runs the public bus service across the whole city. The subject is the electrification of its bus fleet. The text states that the research was not funded.
Context and Urban Challenge
The document notes that Madrid, like most large cities worldwide, faces high levels of urban pollution that affect inhabitants' health and quality of life. EMT operates a fleet of around 2,000 buses, which the study says has an impact on this problem and on global warming.
Strategic Plan 2017-2020
The study is linked to the company's Strategic Plan 2017-2020. Under that plan, many new buses will be acquired, resulting in a fleet of natural gas, hybrid and electric vehicles by the end of 2020. The study is presented as the cornerstone of a future strategic plan of the company.
Methodology
The authors conducted both external and internal analyses of the company. They also carried out a benchmarking of public transport in 25 other cities and the technologies they use. The keywords listed include sustainable transport, electric buses, air quality, emissions and benchmarking.
Key Findings
According to the study, the external and internal analyses support that electrification of the whole fleet is the best option in the long term. The authors identify this as the central conclusion of their strategic assessment.
Replicable Decision Model
The study proposes a model that allows replicability of this strategic assessment. It is intended to help other transport companies and city councils decide which transport fleet is best to implement in their cities, depending on their needs and resources.
Why It Matters for Urban Fleet Strategy
The document presents itself as an input to strategic planning for transport companies and city councils facing urban pollution, and as a tool for assessing which fleet type suits their own needs and resources.