Oslo would be in trouble, because its electric buses “are breaking down” because of the cold”. The capital of Norway, where the electrification of public transport is well advanced, is even “paralyzed”, according to some. On
It would be a “green failure” where 183 new electric buses in circulation since April would have broken down due to the cold. Under a viral post, shared more than 3,300 times on Facebook, several Internet users doubt these assertions in the comments. The posts cite an article from an Austrian tabloid, The Expressrelay of disinformation or conspiracy media, such as Sott.
“Our traffic has in no way been paralyzed”
According to these articles, a public transport company declared that “the range of electric buses decreases drastically in the cold. Batteries run out more quickly.” In total, around 140 departures were affected, according to these publications. This figure, which has no source in the articles, may refer to a publication on the site of Broom, a magazine from the Norwegian television channel TV2 dedicated to automobiles. He reports that 50 departures had to be canceled on December 4 and 90 others on December 5, when the temperature reached -12°C. Two bus lines, where new vehicles operate, were particularly affected according to Broom, out of the capital’s 50 lines.
Is the situation so catastrophic? No, assures the company which coordinates public transport in Oslo. “Our traffic has in no way been paralyzed, this is extremely exaggerated,” indicates 20 minutes, Cathrine Myhren-Haugen, communications manager at Ruter. There have been problems, however: “We have noticed that buses use more battery capacity in cold weather, their range is reduced. We solved this problem by adjusting the charging times,” she explains.
A total of 375 electric buses operate in Oslo
Between 50 and 100 departures were canceled on average, out of more than 4,000 daily departures, for a few days in December, details Ruter. Problems were also encountered with the charging infrastructure, “they have now been resolved,” adds Cathrine Myhren-Haugen. “The cold reduces the battery life, but this does not affect passengers or departures, now that we have changed the charging times,” she adds.
Three hundred and seventy-five electric buses operate in Oslo today. In 2024, they will all be electric so as not to burn fossil fuels when moving, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and noise and to improve air quality.