Bus Pantograph Charger Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecast (2022 - 2027)

The Bus pantograph charger was valued at USD 1970.74 million in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 5437.6 million by 2027 registering a CAGR of around 17% during the forecast period (2022 - 2027).

The COVID-19 pandemic had negative impact on the bus pantograph charger market for first half of the year 2020, as lockdowns and restrictions resulted in reduced demand from transportation and other associated sectors. Further, delay in electric bus projects and supply chain disruptions worsened the situation in the market. However, the majority of the automakers and EV charging providers resumed pantograph charger’s production with limited production and necessary measures. Further, the sales of electric buses witnessed significant growth since latter half of the year 2020 and is likely to continue during the forecast period. This is anticipated to drive the market in focus during the forecast period.

Over the medium term, the demand for pantograph chargers expected to be picked up by growing adoption of electric buses not only for transit but also for school children transportation across major countries in the world. Further, growing governments investments and their focus on improving charging infrastructure expected to drive demand in the market during the forecast period.

In addition, key players investments and growing strategic colloborations between charging solution providers and bus manufacturers anticipated to offer new opportunities for players operating in the market. There is a surge in the utilization of electric bus charging system, owing to the decreasing cost of batteries. The growing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, along with the rise in favorable government regulations likely to enhance growth of market over forecast period.

North American region expected to grow at significant rate during the forecast period woing to rising adoption of electriv buses across major countries in the region. Further, China, India expected to contribute for growth in Asia-Pacific region owing to strong encouragement from the governments, transit agencies, as well as other green vehicle supporting communities and organizations.

Key Market Trends

On-Board Bottom-Up Pantograph Segment of Market to Have Significant Growth

On-board bottom-up pantograph segment of the market studied is estimated to occupy major share as on-board charging solution is a fast-charging system mainly used for the charging of electric buses in cities with existing DC networks, such as for tramways. Further, these on-board bottom-up pantograph on electric buses can be used to charge e-buses where they stop for few minutes i.e these pantographs are deployed for quick charge while standing across red light traffic signals, parking areas, stoppages, while travelling on same route having overhead powerlines, etc. Such infrastructure is also favored due to its vehicle-to-grid reactive power capabilities, and hence the demand expected to rise over forecast period.

Owing to such benefits, consumer inclination especially charging service providers and bus manufacturers expected to grow over forecast period and so as to capture such growing market share several key companies are offering on-board bottom-up pantographs. For instance,

• In November 2021, Siemens Smart Infrastructure announced that it will provide the charging infrastructure i.e. charging via on-board pantograph and contact hood with 100 and 450 kilowatts for 21 fully electric low-floor buses in Leipzig. VDL Bus & Coach received the associated contract from the Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe (LVB) GmbH, the public transport operator in Leipzig. In both systems the connection is realized via contact hoods. This means: Like a streetcar, the buses will be equipped with a pantograph that is moved bottom-up for charging. The vehicle charges automatically via the contact rails mounted in the hood.

Factors attributed to driving the growth of this segment include increasing adoption of electric buses across China, Europe, and the United States over the past years. The Government of the U.S. is actively participating to increase the number of electric buses in its transportation system. For instance,

• Transit operators in Seattle and Los Angeles have committed to convert their entire conventional diesel bus fleets to electric, which together include about 3,600 buses. Such replacement and procurement initiatives are projected to drive the demand for electric buses, which in turn, will increase the deployment of electric bus charging pantographs and chargers in the country.
• In November 2019, Endesa X announced that it will install two new ultra-fast pantograph charging devices for electric buses on the H16 line in Barcelona, linking the Forum with Zona Franca. The objective is to guarantee that the 22 TMB buses currently circulating on this metropolitan line are kept charged up to deliver excellent service to the bus users.

Such developments are expected to continue over the forecast period and hence likely to create a positive outlook for the market.

North America Likely to Have Fastest Growth in the Market

North America is expected to play key role in the growth of market over the forecast period. Further, United states likely to one of the major contributor of growth in region owing to several government initiatives and growing popularity of electric school buses across the country. Further, the demand for electric buses across North American region anticipated to be supported by growing adoption of governments, municipalities, etc. For instance,

• In March 2021, The Montgomery County Public School system in Maryland approved a contract with Highland Electric Transportation to convert its school bus fleet to a fully electric fleet, beginning with converting 326 school buses through 2025. Based on the contract, Highland Electric Transportation and its partners, Thomas Built Buses, Proterra and American Bus will electrify all five bus depots belonging to the Montgomery County Public School district, supply electric buses and charging infrastructure.

Such active growth in North American region is encouraging several key players and the players in electric bus infrastructure projects to adopt pantographs, thus driving demand for bus pantograph chargers over the forecast period. For instance,

• In March 2022, ABB announced that it is offering its services to St. Louis’s new electric bus fleet with the largest deployment of chargers in the United States. ABB's sequential charging system consists of 20 plug-in depot chargers with 150 kW of power and three additional pantograph chargers.
• In April 2019, New Flyer announced that its New Flyer Infrastructure Solutions deployed two on-route fast-charging stations along New York City Transit Authority’s M42 route, which are the first compatible with Opp Charge interfaces. According to New Flyer, those are the first on-route Opp Charge installations in the U.S., which similarly to Canada seems to be adopting Opp Charge from Europe, where Opp Charge's inverted-pantograph fast-charging connection for buses and trucks is one of the two most popular options. The stations were supplied by Siemens and installed by Black & Veatch

Therefore, based on above mentioned developments and instances it is estimated that North American region likely to have fastest growth compared to its counterparts over the forecast period.

Competitive Landscape

Some of the leading electric bus charging infrastructure market players are ABB Ltd., Wabtec corporation, Schunk Transit Systems GmBH, BYD, and others, The bus pantograph charger market is considered to be moderately consolidated one and accounted several global players and regional players. Product innovation, joint ventures, and acquisitions of smaller players, and product launches are the key strategies deployed by the major players. For instance,

• In August 2020, Siemens Smart Infrastructure has received an order from Go Bus, New Zealand’s largest bus operator, to equip two bus depots with charging technology for electric buses. These are two separate Go Bus orders in Auckland and Christchurch. This charging infrastructure to enable bus operators to economically expand charging infrastructure with up to five dispensers plus a pantograph per charging center.
• In June 2019, ABB portfolio of solutions for electric buses charging has launched the flexible and automated Panto Up pantograph, designed to make recharging operations more efficient, especially in the case of large fleets of vehicles like buses, where the need to optimize the space in the depot requires the use of roof charging (through pantograph) instead of the classic plugin station.

Apart from these strategies, bus pantograph chargers are entering into supply agreements with key bus manufacturers and charging stations providers to strengthen their position in the market. For instance,

• In 2021, Volvo Buses announced that it will introduce another alternative for charging electric buses. Along with today’s efficient charging solutions Opp Charge and Combo2/CCS. Volvo also stated that it will offer charging via a roof-mounted pantograph, known as Panto up.

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