Moving towards the future Electric vehicles

Vehicles that run on fossil fuels emit CO2, nitrogen, fine dust and ultra-fine particulate matter. CO2 contributes to climate change, whereas nitrogen, fine dust and ultra-fine particulate matter have a negative effect on air quality. We are fully committed to electric vehicles as we head toward a state of zero emissions.

That is good for the earth and it improves the air quality in and around the airport.

Electric vehicles increasing all the time

Many vehicles can be seen at Schiphol – buses, taxis, baggage trains, loading platforms, hotel shuttles, catering vans, rental cars. Many of these vehicles are already electric – and every year, the electric fleet is being expanded any further.

Electric transport to and from Schiphol

Schiphol Taxi has been operating a large fleet of 100% electric taxis since October 2014. 100 electric public transport buses have also been running at and around Schiphol since March 2018. This number will be further expanded next year.

Electric travel between plane and gate

We take our ambitions seriously both in front of travellers and behind-the-scenes. That is why 37 electric platform buses are in use for transporting passengers from their aircraft to the gate and back. You know when you’re on an electric bus because they are clean and also very quiet.

Electricity for aircraft

If you’ve ever wondered where stationary aircraft at the gates derive their power – say for air conditioning or lighting – it’s usually from a loose diesel generator. These generators are harmful to the environment. However, at Schiphol they are not – aircraft can connect directly to the electric grid.

Aircraft that are on the platforms and not at the gates get their energy from a mobile Ground Power Unit, called the GPU. As of late, Schiphol has five GPUs on electricity. These replace the diesel variant and lead to less CO₂ emissions from the airport. Fun fact: the E-GPUs use old batteries from electric cars.

Learn more about lessening emissions