Article: A Tale of 2 Transit Systems: Battery-Powered Buses Enter the Mainstream

[ozbob]

From the Scientific American click here!

A Tale of 2 Transit Systems: Battery-Powered Buses Enter the Mainstream

A Tale of 2 Transit Systems: Battery-Powered Buses Enter the Mainstream

Using stimulus funds, two transit systems in California and Washington State pioneer a cleaner, greener and less expensive method of transportation

By Nick Chambers  | June 11, 2012

Better lithium ion batteries have led to an explosion in availability of plug-in passenger cars. And now, thanks to relatively cheap electricity and the simplicity of the electric drivetrain, electric vehicles have even more potential for use in the extremely cost-sensitive public transportation arena—a concept that is only just taking root.

In particular, two projects funded mostly by grants from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)—better known as the stimulus package—are pioneering new ways that public transit systems both large and small can think about total cost to operate buses and their environmental impact in the burgeoning era of cheaper, large format, lithium ion batteries.

Different needs, same goal
Spanning from Pasadena to Pomona in an area east of Los Angeles, Foothill Transit is a large bus operator serving about 14 million passengers per year over a 900-square-kilometer area. On the other end of the spectrum is LINK Transit, based in rural Wenatchee, Wash., which conveys just one million passengers annually—but unlike the compact footprint of Foothill Transit, its lower passenger volume is spread out over an area about 10 times larger.

Both public transit operators place significantly different demands on their buses, but each has trained its long-term vision on battery power as a way to reduce costs, improve operational efficiencies and reduce environmental impact. During multiple-year electric bus projects that were funded in 2009 but didn't pick up steam until 2010 (and in the case of LINK, still aren't fully in place), the operators are using different equipment and battery technology to see if their projections pan out in the real world. The projects were mostly funded by ARRA grants, with LINK receiving $2.9 million (of which all went to purchasing electric buses and associated charging equipment) and Foothill receiving $21.3 million (of which only a portion went to the buses and associated equipment).

Lithium ion batteries are still not energy dense enough hold more than the equivalent of between four and eight liters of gasoline in a battery package small enough to put on a bus. Nevertheless, inherent efficiencies in the electric drivetrain enable significant increases in fuel economy. Whereas a typical 12-meter-long, diesel-powered transit bus might return between one and two kilometers per liter, the electric ones that Foothill is running average the equivalent of 8.5 kpl. After some quick math it is apparent that 8.5 kpl combined with 7.5 liters of energy storage is not enough to fuel the hundreds of kilometers a bus might need to travel in a day. To get around this, both Foothill and LINK have added ultrafast charging stations in the middles of their buses' loops.

Foothill Transit operates three 12-meter long, 35-passenger buses built by Greenville, S.C.–based Proterra. Each relies on batteries that supply 72 kilowatt-hours and runs on a 27-kilometer-long loop that handles 5 percent of the yearly ridership. At specially built fast charging stations in the Pomona Transit Center the buses can fill up within 10 minutes on their normally scheduled layover, meaning they never have to travel more than 27 kilometers between full charges—about half what their rated battery capacity can provide. LINK's system is similar, although it uses five, Ebus-built, seven-meter long, 22-passenger trolleys with 28 kWh-batteries that travel on two separate eight-kilometer-long loops and can be filled in about seven minutes with a fast charge at the downtown Wenatchee Transit Center.

LINK originally planned to have its electric trolleys up and running by late 2010, but issues with the battery cooling system and manufacturing of the fast-charging station delayed full operation until later this year—although the trolleys are currently running for about two hours each day without fast charging. "There's nothing off-the-shelf about our trolleys," says Greg Pezoldt, special projects coordinator at LINK Transit. "As the first electric trolley of its kind, everything we have done with Ebus we've had to develop and sometimes redevelop. Even with the delays we're still excited about it, and we have an ultimate goal of electrifying the entirety of our Wenatchee and East Wenatchee routes."

Cost savings achieved
It is no wonder LINK is still bullish on the endeavor: Pezoldt says a comparable diesel-powered trolley would cost about $435,000 and each electric trolley built by Downey, Calif.–based Ebus costs significantly less at $370,000. On top of that, diesel fuel for the same trolley on the same route runs about $1,200 per month, whereas the inexpensive and green hydropowered electricity used for the Ebus trolley comes in at approximately $100 per month—less than one tenth the cost. The biggest question revolves around battery life, but even with the worst-case estimates, Pezoldt says LINK still comes out significantly ahead with electric bus operation in terms of lifetime fuel and maintenance costs.

[somebody]

Thanks for posting this.  Very interesting.

I wonder if hybrid buses work out better.  I can't imagine that 60km+ range (i.e. around enough for a return 150 trip) is feasible, and any saving made would be lost on refuelling time.

[Stillwater]

Hummmmm, hybrid trains.   

[somebody]

Hummmmm, hybrid trains.   

What?  Beyond Rosewood?

[SurfRail]

BT have still got their battery protoype coming soon.  Given the range issues I expect it would only be used on things like the City Loop or the 19# services and that there would need to be some support infrastructure for it - have to wait and see though.

[Golliwog]

Thanks for posting this.  Very interesting.

I wonder if hybrid buses work out better.  I can't imagine that 60km+ range (i.e. around enough for a return 150 trip) is feasible, and any saving made would be lost on refuelling time.

There is also this idea though: http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=8476.msg99756#msg99756

Bombardier's PRIMOVE system which is basically a set of induction coils, and is explained a bit here: http://www.bombardier.com/en/transportation/sustainability/technology/primove-catenary-free-operation?docID=0901260d800486ab

Not sure how the bus system they're apparently going to install it on is going to work, but it is an interesting idea and one that I think has merit. I'm hoping the bus system is going to be using PRIMOVE but batteries as well. Not sure how long it takes to charge via induction, but if they install the charging things in interchanges or major routes (eg: in Brisbane somewhere along the busway) then they wouldn't have to stop any more than the would previously.

[ozbob]

From Global Times click here!

Jiangsu-based Zonda Group to start mass production of electric buses

Jiangsu-based Zonda Group to start mass production of electric buses
Global Times | 2012-8-18 23:45:03
By Cong Mu

Yancheng, Jiangsu-based private automaker Zonda Group announced Wednesday in Beijing that it will start mass production of self-developed electric buses in 12 to 18 months, after becoming the first manufacturer to get a green light from the regulator in July.

The company received a confirmation from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on July 17 saying that it could go ahead with building electric bus production facilities, with an annual capacity of 3,000 units, Xu Lianguo, the group's chairman, told reporters.

"The construction will be completed in one to one-and-a-half years ... We've already got a $150 million order from a US company," Xu said.

Domestically, the company said it has signed 160 million yuan ($25.1 million) worth of orders for its electric buses at the price of 2 million yuan a unit.

"Generally, the demand overseas is much larger than in China," Xu noted, saying that there is no problem finding buyers overseas even at the price of 3 million yuan a unit.

The electric bus' prices are still too high to achieve good sales in China, experts told the Global Times Wednesday.

Battery cost alone is 800,000 yuan for a Zonda bus, nearly half of the aggregate vehicle price, said Shen Yun, leader of a research project on new energy vehicle development in China under the Development Research Center of the State Council.

"Current battery's lifecycle, which is around two years, is too short to be cost-efficient. If it can be extended to five years, the costs will go down," he said.

Beijing has planned a total of 400 electric buses since 2008, but only 100 of them are in service, said Li Jun, a technology expert at Beijing Public Transport Holdings, the capital's bus operator.

The difficulty for the rollout is a lack of recharge stations or posts because the construction costs, including land cost, are too high, Li said.

There is only one battery swap station currently near Beitucheng in Beijing, he said.

[ozbob]

Interesting web site --> http://citytransport.info/Electbus.htm