Institutional perspectives on public procurement in the electric bus transition

Electric buses are increasingly popular in public transport systems globally, and in many European contexts, this transition takes place through public procurement. While previous research argues that electrification challenges existing procurement practices and strategies, the aim of the paper is to contribute new knowledge on the role of public procurement in the transition to electric buses and how the transition itself affects public procurement of public transport. The paper examines how institutional frameworks of the socio-technical public transport regime shape procurement strategies, and by analysing seven European procurement cases, explores how institutions influence technical requirements and ownership structures. The findings show that normative expectations affect the use of technical requirements, and established norms determine who makes which technological decisions. Electrification is changing these dynamics, prompting renegotiation of actor roles, responsibilities and infrastructure ownership. A key tension between technology-neutral procurement and the need for strategic long-term planning and goal alignment highlights the importance of technical competence within Public Transport Authorities. Tensions between existing norms and the changing technical landscape emphasise that procurement practices must adapt to accommodate electric bus technology, with examples from the cases showing how this has been handled in practice.