Sustainable mobility on campus: the ETH Link is going electric
The ETH Link will run on electricity from the beginning of the semester. Starting on 14 September 2020, electric articulated buses will link the Hönggerberg campus with the Zentrum campus. Alongside the “eLink” connection, there will be new charging stations for electric vehicles and more services for e-bikes.
The ETH Link has travelled between the Zentrum campus and Hönggerberg campus multiple times an hour since 2009. This shuttle allows ETH members to commute between the two campuses without having to switch buses. Up to now, the ETH Link has been powered by diesel. From the start of the coming semester, the campuses will be serviced by the first electric vehicle. Two more buses will follow straight from the factory in autumn.
The fully electric, 18-metre-long articulated (bendy) buses will be coming straight from the production line. With a battery capacity of 243 kilowatt hours, they can travel 125 kilometres in one go. According to operator Eurobus, they will be the first transport company in Switzerland to use the new electric articulated buses for scheduled services.
The environmentally friendly buses can accommodate 131 passengers: 38 seated, 93 standing and two in wheelchairs. All buses have a low-floor entryway, with one of the four doors containing a wheelchair ramp to allow passengers to embark easily. For ETH members who wish to use electronic devices while in transit, the buses are equipped with public wifi and USB charging sockets.
Changes to the schedule
The eLink will be in service from Monday to Friday, as before. The first services in the morning (from 7:06 a.m.) through to the final services in the evening (until 6:54 p.m.) will depart from and terminate at Zurich Central Station, allowing passengers to connect with train services. However, the departure times from the Zentrum campus are set to change: starting on 14 September, the ETH Link will depart from the Zentrum campus and from the Haldenegg stop (destination Hönggerberg) four minutes earlier (schedule details). This time will be used to charge the buses at the Hönggerberg campus.
The electric buses will be partially recharged at a new 300-kW charging station at the Hönggerberg stop. The charging pole is fitted with a contact cap that docks with the vehicle’s pantograph and starts the charging process. The electricity that the electric buses run on is sourced exclusively from Swiss hydropower sources. The buses receive the energy they need both from charging stations and by recuperating energy when braking.
Forty charging stations for electric vehicles
As well as ordering the electric articulated buses from Eurobus, ETH has invested in its infrastructure for electric transportation; when the semester starts, there will be 40 new charging stations for electric vehicles on the Zentrum campus and Hönggerberg campus. These stations will service the electric vehicles in the ETH fleet and are also available for ETH members and visitors to use for charging their own electric vehicles. The stations are located in the garages in the IFW, ETZ, HIG, HPG and HEZ buildings.
ETH will provide the electricity free of charge as part of a limited-term support initiative. ETH members who regularly commute to the ETH premises using an electric car also have the option of a personal parking space on campus with a charging station (details about parking at ETH).
For low-emission campus mobility
In addition, experts from the central bodies and research units have revised the procurement guidelines for ETH’s vehicle fleet. At present, there are 15 purely electric vehicles in daily service.
More e-bike options
The ETH mobility platform is fully committed to providing sustainable mobility on campus. Current electric mobility focal points include the ETH Link, ETH’s fleet of vehicles and the electric charging infrastructure for e-vehicles as well as sharing services for e-bikes. There are currently 41 team e-bikes in use at ETH on a daily basis.
ETH has concluded an agreement with PubliBike that encompasses the financing of a charging station on the Hönggerberg campus and a special price for ETH members. There is also a PubliBike facility directly in front of the ETH main building.
ETH has partnered with BOND (formerly smide). Part of this agreement covers the use of its e-bikes at a reduced rate. A half-price subscription with free unlocking will also be provided at the beginning of the semester as a pilot operation. This means that ETH members only pay half the price per kilometre ridden and the unlocking fee is waived (details at www.ethz.ch/bike).
Low-emission mobility on campus is a key aspect of sustainability as part of ETH Zurich’s 2017-2020 strategy and development plan, a building block of ETH Zurich’s procurement policy, and a central element of the programme titled “external page The Confederation: Exemplary Energy and Climate 2020-2030” and the federal administration’s climate package as set out by the Federal Council in summer 2019.