e-Sandbox Switzerland – Sion
An innovation platform for electric mobility
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Faced with climate challenges and evolving mobility needs, PostBus is actively involved in electrifying its network. Led by the MobilityLabTarget not accessible (the innovation laboratory bringing together EPFL, HES-SO Valais-Wallis, the canton of Valais, the city of Sion and Swiss Post), the "e-Sandbox Switzerland – Sion" initiative unites academic, industrial and institutional partners in order to meet the specific challenges associated with the electrification of public transport.
Through this platform, Sion has become a unique testing ground, where innovative solutions are developed, tested and optimized in a real-world setting. The project will continue until 2027 and its progress will be shared gradually with the entire public transport sector to benefit the whole sector.
An innovation platform for more sustainable mobility
The electrification of public transport doesn’t just involve replacing internal-combustion vehicles with electric buses. It requires a holistic approach that takes operation, charging and energy integration into account.
It is structured around three complementary research areas:
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Optimizing routes and energy consumption
We are developing advanced modelling tools to better understand energy consumption and optimize routes according to electric bus constraints (in collaboration with Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and IVU Traffic Technologies).
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Smart charging infrastructure management (smart grid)
We are testing new strategies for charging and integrating renewable energy to make the system more flexible and efficient (with the support of HES-SO Valais, dSYDE SA and Oiken).
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Infrastructure roll-out and expansion
We are developing a decision-support tool to help plan the national roll-out of charging infrastructure. By integrating the specific characteristics of urban, rural and alpine regions, this tool will recommend the most suitable solution for each site (based on the Swiss eBus Plus project with ETH Zurich, Nihito and HESS AG).
The results of e-Sandbox will be used to refine electrification strategies, optimize infrastructure and accelerate the roll-out of electric buses on a national scale.
In this context, the Swiss Post Group’s new “E-Mobility Charging Solutions” (ECS) unit plays a key role in the development of charging infrastructure and e-mobility management solutions. Its expertise strengthens the e-Sandbox platform, facilitating the implementation of technologies adapted to the needs of public transport and accelerating the energy transition of the sector.
🚍⚡ Together, let’s innovate for a more sustainable future.
