Electric bus adoption for sustainable urban mobility: Public policies, technological maturity of cities, and small business innovation

The Brazilian National Energy Balance underscores transportation as the primary energy consumer and major contributor to atmospheric pollution. Despite escalating energy demand, Brazil relies heavily on fossil fuels, and its energy efficiency lags behind other nations. Electric buses offer a viable solution, boasting low greenhouse gas emissions and various socio-economic and environmental benefits, including noise reduction, enhanced air quality, cost savings, and job creation in the electric vehicle sector. Small business innovation is pivotal in this context, driving the development of technologies and solutions. The research inquiry focuses on the impact of public policies on the technological maturity of electric bus adoption for sustainable urban mobility in Brazilian cities. Employing a multi-method approach, including the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and interviews with industry stakeholders, preliminary findings highlight the critical role of regulatory frameworks and incentives in enhancing cities' maturity levels, surpassing technological advancements and performance metrics in importance.