The 12th annual Zero Emission Bus Conference (ZEB Con) is coming to the East Coast for the first time. The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) will be holding the event Aug. 27-29 in Philadelphia, Pa., hosting bus and shuttle fleet managers, industry professionals and climate advocates from around the world.
ZEB Con gathers transit indusry professionals to encourage knowledge sharing that works to accelerate the electrification of public and private transportation fleets. A key feature of the conference is the focus on both battery and fuel cell electric solutions.
This year’s host, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), will highlight its new 10 fuel cell electric bus fleet alongside their mobile hydrogen refueling solution. Attendees can also tour SEPTA’s Southern Bus District where the transit agency is entering phase two of their battery electric bus program.
ZEB Con will offer 16 educational sessions featuring speakers deploying electric buses in transit, university, school and private operations. Key presenters include Princeton University, New York Power Authority, AC Transit (CA), Exelon Corporation, Montgomery County Transit (MD), the School District of Philadelphia, Spokane Transit (WA), the University of Georgia, Metro Transit (MN) and King County Metro (WA), among many others. International speakers from London, Germany and Canada will share case studies of large-scale ZEB deployments from abroad. The Federal Transit Administration will also discuss details of its research and deployment support programs.
“Electric transportation is a critical tool for addressing climate change,” says Lauren Justice, CTE development director. “ZEB Con empowers fleets with practical resources to successfully adopt clean transportation technologies.”
This year, topics are framed in three tracks — “Early Adoption,” “Scaling Up” and “Advanced Solutions” — designed to match content to where fleet decision makers are within their ZEB programs. Sessions will cover battery safety, depot design, charging optimization, utility coordination and workforce development, among other themes. Conference attendees will hear from representatives of regional hydrogen hubs and gain insight into transportation’s critical offtake role for this clean fuel.
At ZEB Con, attendees will have the opportunity to meet leading bus manufacturers and infrastructure providers in a dedicated exhibition hall and network with industry peers over dinner at the Franklin Institute.
“I have been attending ZEB Con since 2018 and I have been very happy to witness its annual growth and the united efforts of our industry,” said William Haber with King County Metro. “I continually recommend ZEB Con to all of my colleagues.”
Because ZEB Con’s primary goal is to provide knowledge and confidence to public and private bus fleets as they make the transition to electric, all fleet decision-makers receive $400 off registration.
