Executive Summary of FTA/NAVC report on that status of electric-drive transit bus technology
Open Access Article Originally Published: September 21, 2005
Transit agencies have become increasingly focused on making their bus fleets cleaner and more efficient by incorporating new clean propulsion technologies. This has led to increased interest in electric drive technologies as one option for cleaner, more efficient transit bus fleets. The primary electric drive options being explored are battery-electric, hybrid-electric and fuel cells. While there has been significant private sector investment in development of commercially viable electric drive options for transit, with significant progress being made, this effort still faces some barriers before electric drive buses can be truly competitive with conventional diesel buses.
This analysis examines the state of electric drive technology for transit buses; the benefits of major market penetration of electric drive buses to both transit and the broader community; and the barriers that remain to achieving this goal. The report strives to reflect the interests of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) in supporting the U.S. transit community, promoting cleaner transit technologies, and ensuring high quality of transit services for the operators, riders and the community at large.
The analysis was developed based in part on research into the status of electric drive technologies in transit. More importantly, it was based on interviews with industry representatives from transit agencies, bus companies, hybrid system developers, fuel cell companies, engine manufacturers, and research and advocacy organizations. The results of the analysis are intended to reflect the interests and views of transit and electric drive stakeholders, not the views of FTA or of the report’s author, the Northeast Advanced Vehicle Consortium.
Electric drive systems are appealing to transit because they offer the promise of reduced or even zero vehicle emissions; increased efficiency; enhanced performance; reduced fuel use; quiet operation; and, the potential for lower maintenance costs.
The results of research and the industry interviews indicate that pure battery buses have simply not reached viability for most transit service applications, and so are seen as a niche vehicle. Battery buses may still be purchased by users with a need for a zero-emission, no-noise bus; for example, for buses used indoors or in park areas. Fuel cells are seen as the long-term goal by many, with ICE-based hybrids offering a bridge to fuel cell buses, although there are some in the transit world who see fuel cells as unlikely to ever be commercially viable for transit. For those that see them as the long-term solution for vehicle propulsion, the timeframe for commercial products is seen as ten years at a minimum, with perhaps commercial fuel cells not being available for another 20 years.
Hybrid-electric buses have reached the commercial production stage. These are no longer primarily demonstration vehicles, although hybrid systems will continue to be developed and modified. There are approximately 700 hybrid buses in regular service in North America, with another 400 planned deliveries through 2006. Over 40 transit agencies in North America have hybrid buses in service, and transit agencies are announcing their intention to buy more. Hybrids have been shown to be technically viable for transit service. However, there are some major challenges that must be addressed, such as capital costs, battery life and longevity of components, and certification issues, for hybrid buses to be able to compete successfully with other bus technologies and reach greater levels of deployment throughout the U.S. transit system.
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