The paper discusses the possible economic effect on regional development by developing applicable methodology and analysing differences in costs, both operational costs and initial investments, of two types of buses serving urban public transportation systems – diesel fuelled internal combustion engine bus and battery electric bus. Comparison of initial investments to operate the both types of buses shows large initial investments involved when electric energy is being added/used. At the same time operational costs, including energy costs, show opposite picture, especially with large annual distances covered – electrical energy is substantially cheaper. The research shows, that within current state of affairs in Latvia, initial investments of changing public transportation fleet to electric buses and the costs of battery replacement still outweighs the monetary advantages gained from lower operational costs and additional environmental benefits

An electrolysis system uses electricity to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. In this process, the electrolysis system produces hydrogen, and the remaining oxygen escapes to the atmosphere or is captured or stored for use in industrial processes, or for other purposes. This study provides a detailed assessment of four major electrolysis technologies (alkaline water electrolysis, proton exchange membrane electrolysis, solid oxide electrolysis, and anion exchange membrane electrolysis), their characteristics, key players in the global electrolyser market, and recent trends that define electrolysis technology and market development. The scope of this study extends not only to the analysis of electrolysis technologies, but also to an overview of the availability of critical materials, shortages or disruptions in supply of which can prove challenging or even harmful for those markets/regions with limited excess platinum group metals (platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, and osmium) and rare earth metals. Also, for two electrolysis technologies: alkaline water electrolysis and proton exchange membrane electrolysis, a comparison of efficiency and initial calculation of CAPEX for installations with medium and large installed capacities (5 and 100 MW) was presented.

Because of the electric propulsion, electric scooters could be a potential way how to decrease greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in urban transportation sector; however, recent research has cast doubt on that. This article focuses on the effect the electric scooter use has on CO2 emissions by examining the electric scooter trip data obtained during 2021 scooter season in Riga city. As shared scooters routinely replace already existing modes of transportation, the article analyses the effect which this replacement has on net CO2 emissions in the city. We argue that not all replacement modes will bring actual decrease of CO2 emissions. The results indicate that most of the shared e-scooter trips in Riga fall into the 1-2 km distance category, where it replaces not just cars, but also public transportation, walking and cycling, and actually increases CO2 emissions. The article examines the factors contributing to the CO2 emissions and relative impact of each. The results demonstrate that the largest impact comes from the scooter and battery manufacturing, thus scooter lifetime has decisive impact on the overall net CO2 emissions. In addition, this research found fundamental differences between expected scooter lifetime data claimed by shared scooter operators (5 years) and the average reallife data (156 days). It results in shared e-scooters creating additional 239.9 tonnes CO2 in Riga, and minimum scooter lifetime should be at least 5 years, for shared scooters to become CO2 neutral. This study aims to contribute to transportation literature by demonstrating net CO2 emission calculation methodology as well as empirical evidence on e-scooter trips in North-Eastern Europe region and to help local authorities to make decisions on reaching environmental targets in transportation sector.

This paper describes the initial findings of research project “The Possibilities of Increasing Efficiency of City Bus Hybrid Propulsion Systems by Including Wireless Battery Charging” carried out by „LEO Research Centre” (Competency Centre for Latvian Electrical and Optical Manufacturing Industry). The project is aimed at developing wireless charging and optimising electric bus propulsion system for modern urban transportation applications. The project runs from the beginning of the 2013 until the end of 2015 and focuses on the sub-theme “Energy and Sustainable Transport”.