Battery-electric bus discussion

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smkettner said:
https://www.shuttle.uci.edu/electric-bus-update/ BYD EV buses delayed but in service soon

https://www.shuttle.uci.edu/w-line-fuel-cell-bus-update/ Problems with Fuel cell bus

https://www.shuttle.uci.edu/route-cancellation-notice-w-line/ Fuel cell bus route cancelled due to expiration of funding.

Looks like the battery electric bus is winning the battle at University California Irvine.
The route cancellation doesn't seem to have anything to do with the type of bus, they aren't running it with any bus from now on.

Back OT, via GCC:
BYD, Alexander Dennis electric buses take over fourth London bus route
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/03/20180309-adl.html
In February, another fleet of BYD Alexaner Dennis battery-electric buses took over operation of a fourth London bus route. Route 153, operated by Go-Ahead London on behalf of Transport for London (TfL), runs an intensive service from before 05.00 to after 23.00 six days a week (with a slightly later start on Sundays).

The Route spans many of the City of London’s most congested streets between its termini at Finsbury Park in the north to Moorgate in the heart of the financial district.

The new fleet consists of 11 of the 10.8m BYD ADL Enviro200EV single deckers, similar to others operated by Go-Ahead and now a familiar sight on London roads. The well-proven zero emission vehicles entered service successfully and operate from the Northumberland Park Garage in Tottenham, north London. The new buses marked the transfer of the route to Go-Ahead from CT Plus. BYD has supplied the depot with its own-designed and manufactured charging points.

The other three ADL BYD serviced London routes, all with Go-Ahead, are the 521 and 507 from Waterloo and the 360 from Camberwell. Other routes and operators will receive fleets of BYD ADL electric buses in the coming months following tender wins by the partnership. . . .
 
Ingineer has posted the following video on his YouTube channel showing an electric bus which was built in 1968!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-kDetp_43w[/youtube]

Here are his comments which accompany the video:
Ingineer said:
1968 "Westcoaster" Bus originally electric drive, but had 36v lead-acid system and 4 golf car motors all working to drive the bus to it's top speed of 14MPH. Now the old system has been removed and a Tesla ~400HP drive unit installed to run it. I think this was used by the California Water dept. to ferry employees around underground, possibly at a dam, so they needed zero emissions.
That just makes me realize how far battery-electric drivetrains have come in the last 50 years.
 
Both via GCC:
Efficient Drivetrains selected to participate in $4.4M DOE program for electrification of school buses
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/03/20180314-edi.html

Efficient Drivetrains, Inc. announced that it has been selected as the electric drivetrain provider for a $4.4-million program implemented by the United States Department of Energy in efforts to accelerate the adoption of advanced and alternative fuel vehicles. (Earlier post.) Combined with matching funding from other public and private entities in California, the total project funding represents an electrification program over $9 million.

School buses continue to remain the largest mass transit segment in the country, carrying more than twice the number of passengers as the entire US transit and rail segments. Diesel vehicles expose the community and school children to toxic air contaminants, which are known to increase health risks. Upon completing the program, the result is a fleet of affordable, full electric zero-emissions buses that will eliminate thousands of pounds of particulate matter from the air, improving the health of the school children riding the buses, and the greater community.

As part of the program, EDI will be supplying its EDI PowerDrive 7000ev electric drivetrain in conjunction with its EDI Power2E exportable power solution to a leading school bus OEM to develop a fleet of zero-emissions electric-powered school buses with Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) capabilities.

The bus offers 100+ miles of all electric zero-emissions driving, with the expected full power performance of its traditional diesel counterpart and requires no change to driver behavior to operate. Additionally, fleet managers will have access to real-time fleet tracking and vehicle diagnostics featuring the location, state of charge, and other valuable information utilizing the EDI PowerTracker telematics system. .
. .

Baton Rouge orders 3 BYD electric buses
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/03/20180314-byd.html

. . . The bus has a range of approximately 150 miles (241 km) on a single charge and a capacity of up to 32 passengers, depending on configuration. BYD buses are projected to cost roughly $1.00 less per mile to operate than the typical diesel-powered bus.

CATS operates 29 bus lines and provides more than 2 million rides each year.
 
Via GCC:
SamTrans orders 10 Proterra electric buses
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/03/20180315-proterra.html

The San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) has ordered 10 new 40-foot Proterra Catalyst E2 electric buses, which will replace 10 diesel buses. This marks the agency’s first electric bus order of many more to come, as SamTrans has set a goal of electrifying its entire bus fleet by 2033.

SamTrans’ 312-vehicle fleet carries an average of more than 36,000 people to school, work and other destinations each weekday. It operates 77 routes throughout San Mateo County . . . The 10 Proterra Catalyst buses will begin service in 2019, and serve a number of routes in San Mateo County.

. . . the new electric buses will also have a positive impact on SamTrans’ bottom line, since they require less energy to operate and reduce maintenance costs. Over their 12-year lifetime, the 10 Proterra buses will result in maintenance and operations cost savings projected at nearly $4.5 million. The purchase of these new buses is fully funded by a combination of federal, State, Bay Area Air Quality Management District and SamTrans funds. . . .

The E2 battery packs represent the heavy-duty industry’s highest pack-level energy density at 160 Wh/kg and 260 Wh/L, Proterra says.
 
A couple of small announcements regarding Proterra electric buses:

Breckenridge to start Proterra Electric Bus demo this week. Thursday, March 22, to be exact.

Baltimore Gas & Electric and Proterra to Deploy Nation's First Electric Shuttle Buses at a Utility Campus. It seems they had to work pretty hard to come up with a "nation's first". After all that, it's not even true given that a water utility deployed electric buses on their campus fifty years ago. :roll:

Still, I'm dumbfounded that electric companies haven't already achieved a high level of penetration of BEVs in their fleets, at least for cars. Why is that not a no-brainer for companies who make their own electricity? Don't they have an incentive to consume their own product, and thereby encourage others to do the same, rather than to purchase products from other companies which sometimes come from other countries?
 
BYD and Marcopolo team together to bring EV buses to Brazil:
CleanTechnica said:
The partnership with Marcopolo allows BYD to contribute with its strongest technologies — the powertrain and batteries from its factory in Campinas — without having to build a local factory to build the entire vehicle. “We are happy to deliver the first electric bus project together with Marcopolo. We are creating jobs in Brazil and helping Brasilia improve its bus system,” said Tyler Li, General Manager of BYD Brazil and President of BYD Energy Brazil.
 
Proterra has demonstrated that the combination of their large batteries and their "DuoPower Drivetrain" technology provides the ability to provide a superior replacement for ALL diesel buses on ALL routes in their prospective customers' regions:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5JV5KRwr54[/youtube]

From here on out, BEV buses no longer have a performance deficit versus diesel buses. As such, they will be able focus on cost, reliability, durability, product differentiation, and manufacturing volume.
 
It looks like New Flyer chose to install their batteries on the roof of their electric buses. As a result, one of them has rolled over during testing. Sorry, but that's a dumb idea which will need to be fixed.
Electrek said:
It’s a surprising accident and the rooftop battery pack design is potentially to blame.
Electrek said:
On Tuesday, the company was testing their electric buses in Anniston, where they are based, and the bus was going around a curve when it rolled over and crash – injuring the driver and three other employees inside the bus.
 
RegGuheert said:
It looks like New Flyer chose to install their batteries on the roof of their electric buses. As a result, one of them has rolled over during testing. Sorry, but that's a dumb idea which will need to be fixed.
Electrek said:
It’s a surprising accident and the rooftop battery pack design is potentially to blame.
Electrek said:
On Tuesday, the company was testing their electric buses in Anniston, where they are based, and the bus was going around a curve when it rolled over and crash – injuring the driver and three other employees inside the bus.
Daimler is also adopting partial roof mounting of batteries in their Citaro BEV buses, to make it easier to use a single platform for all their HEV/BEV/FCEV/NGV buses. Presumably they'll do a better job of watching the Cg. See
Akasol manufacturing Li-ion systems for Daimler Citaro electric bus; Samsung cells
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/04/20180410-akasol.html

Meanwhile, Via GCC:
CUTRIC launches $40M Pan-Canadian electric bus trial
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/04/20180413-cutric.html

The Pan-Canadian Electric Bus Demonstration and Integration Trial: Phase I was launched at TransLink in Vancouver as part of a national coordinated effort to advance zero emissions transit technology, spear-headed by the Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC).

The $40-million project encompasses 18 standardized and interoperable electric buses, seven standardized and interoperable overhead chargers, and five routes in three cities, said CUTRIC Executive Director & CEO Josipa Petrunic.

CUTRIC brought together manufacturers, transit agencies, utilities, funding partners, research teams, and technology development capacities for the demonstration trial that is launching first in TransLink’s system in Vancouver, B.C. TransLink is joined by Brampton Transit and the Regional Municipality of York as sites for the trial, with Brampton Transit having spearheaded the trial planning process back in 2016. . . .

TransLink is working with two Canadian transit vehicle manufacturers (New Flyer Industries of Winnipeg, Manitoba and Nova Bus, of St. Eustache, Quebec) and two charging station manufacturers (ABB Group and Siemens Canada) to deploy four electric buses and two overhead electric charging stations that plug into an open protocol known as the OppCharge protocol—first jointly developed by Siemens and Volvo Bus Corporation.

  • New Flyer is providing Xcelsior CHARGE battery-electric buses. For the purposes of the CUTRIC trial, the company is implementing an on-route rapid charging system in co-operation with ABB and Siemens who are the providers of the charging equipment. This overhead charging strategy allows the bus to essentially stay in service indefinitely and is limited only by the transit service demands.

    Nova Bus, part of the Volvo Group, is providing LFSe electric buses. Through it fast charging technology, the LFSe can be charged in less than 5 minutes at the end of route stations.

    ABB will supply interoperable opportunity charging systems with inverted pantograph technology for e-buses, rated up to 450 kW, to the e-bus demonstration project in Brampton, Ontario.

    Siemens Canada is an eBus charging solution provider for the Pan Canadian Demonstration Project. Siemens modular charging systems are available in 150kW, 300kW and 450kW configurations and include an overhead-charging interface that can charge the bus in station, while passengers exit and enter the bus. The chargers are also OppCharge compliant and in use with multiple bus OEMs. . . .
 
Via GCC:
KVG Braunschweig converting around 25% of its bus fleet to electric
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/04/20180416-kvg.html

Lower Saxony transport-operator KVG Braunschweig will convert around 25% of its bus fleet to electric. The current fleet of electric vehicles will grow to 48 full-size electric buses by 2023; KVG intends to procure six new e-buses this year. . . .

The basis for the decision of the KVG Supervisory Board was the positive outcome of the Leo project, a trial of electric buses in line operation. Salzgitter-based manufacturer Sileo delivered three electric buses to KVG at the turn of the year 2016/2017. KVG successfully tested a Sileo S12 electric bus in line operations for cost-effectiveness, reliability, comfort for passengers and technical requirements.

The 12-meter S12 offers a lithium iron phosphate battery pack with up to 300 kWh capacity; specific energy consumption is from 0.7 to 0.8 kWh/km. Dual 120 kW traction motors propel the bus up to 75 km/h (46.6 mph). Passenger capacity is 39 seated and 51 standing.

The KVG received a subsidy of 40% of the procurement costs from the Landesnahverkehrsgesellschaft Niedersachsen mbH (LNVG) on behalf of the state of Lower Saxony for the purchase of the three existing electric buses. . . .
 
Not sure if this has been posted already...

VTA Unveils Zero-Emission Buses
The all-electric buses can travel about 200 miles on one charge.
https://patch.com/california/cupertino/vta-unveils-zero-emission-buses
SANTA CLARA VALLEY, CA — The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority today unveiled five all-electric buses expected to roll out in May. Elected officials and representatives from partners of the project
gathered Thursday at the VTA Cerone bus yard in San Jose to talk about the concept, design and execution of the buses as well as their use in meeting California's statewide goal for all transit fleets to have zero emissions by 2040...
VTA is the transit authority for my area, but the bus service for my area is to put it mildly, basically useless.
 
Via GCC:
Momentum Dynamics deploys 200 kW wireless charging system for electric transit buses in Wenatchee, WA
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/04/20180419-momentum.html

. . . The wireless charging system is now operational on a BYD K9S bus at Link Transit in Wenatchee, Washington. Within five minutes, the wireless charging system automatically adds enough energy to the vehicle’s battery to complete another route during its routine transfer station stop. This allows the electric bus to drive unlimited route cycles. Buses with Momentum’s wireless charging system stop over the charging transmitter embedded in the road to charge automatically. . . .

Momentum’s wireless charger installed at Link Transit is the first in North America to operate at the 200-kilowatt power level and the first to achieve a UL field certification. In its first month of operation, the system is adding more energy to the bus than it consumes on each driving route. The system is more energy efficient than plug-in chargers of the same power rating. . . .
Say what? Unfortunately, the source paper is behind a paywall, and related articles via Google all have the same info and quotes. If the claim is accurate it would be a very big deal, but I'll wait to see some independent tests.

Also GCC:
Washington D.C. Circulator deploys 14 Proterra battery-electric buses
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/04/20180421-circulator.html

The Washington, D.C. Circulator system has deployed 14 battery-electric Proterra Catalyst E2 buses. The District’s electric bus rollout will make it the largest electric bus fleet in the DC region, the current largest electric fleet on the East Coast, and one of the largest electric bus fleets nationwide. . . .

Currently, the Circulator provides door-to-door transportation to more than 25 museums, monuments and memorials along the National Mall. Providing more than five millions trips each year, the Circulator only costs $1 to ride, ensuring that residents, commuters, and visitors alike have access to fast and affordable transportation.

With 14 Catalyst E2 buses, the D.C. Circulator will displace more than 88,900 gallons of diesel per year, and eliminate more than 243,980 pounds of CO2 emissions annually. Over their 12-year lifetime, the 14 Proterra buses will result in fuel and maintenance cost savings of more than $6 million. . . .
 
GRA said:
Via GCC:
Momentum Dynamics deploys 200 kW wireless charging system for electric transit buses in Wenatchee, WA
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/04/20180419-momentum.html

. . . Momentum’s wireless charger installed at Link Transit is the first in North America to operate at the 200-kilowatt power level and the first to achieve a UL field certification. In its first month of operation, the system is adding more energy to the bus than it consumes on each driving route. The system is more energy efficient than plug-in chargers of the same power rating. . . .
Say what? Unfortunately, the source paper is behind a paywall, and related articles via Google all have the same info and quotes. If the claim is accurate it would be a very big deal, but I'll wait to see some independent tests.
Agreed. That is very cool!

Momentum Dynamics' website has a dearth of information about their products. It shows a graph of a bus at CARTA in Chattanooga, TN, charging at 200 kW and increasing its SOC by 8% in just 8 minutes. (I guess that means that the battery on the bus has a capacity on the order of 333 kWh.)

They also have this dated video posted there:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoB3l8GpY5I[/youtube]
 
If it sounds too good to be true...?


State awards $8.6 million for new bus line from Redding to Sacramento


North State residents by the end of next year will be able to catch a cheap bus ride to Sacramento to catch a flight, do some shopping or travel even farther.

State officials are giving the Shasta Regional Transportation Agency more than $8.6 million to launch a fleet of seven electric buses to create a service linking Redding to Sacramento and some North State cities to the main line.

“We’re looking as at little as $15 from Redding to Sacramento. Maybe $20 tops but $15 is what we’re shooting for,” SRTA Executive Director Dan Little said Monday. “We want it to be attractive for people who have the option of driving their cars.”...

“A common concern is the lack of high-quality, convenient and reasonable cost transportation between Shasta County and important neighboring regions, specifically including connections to Sacramento, and from there the San Francisco Bay Area, and beyond through the airport,” Shasta Living Streets Executive Director Anne Thomas wrote in a letter of support attached to the application....
https://www.redding.com/story/news/local/2018/04/30/state-awards-8-6-million-new-bus-line-redding-sacramento/564805002/

If you live ~200 miles from the nearest real airport, you will understand the significance of a service like this.

I'd love to skip the mind-numbing I-5 drive and pick up a BEV rental once I reach Sacramento, for the final leg of all my Tahoe-to-Bay-corridor destinations.
 
Via GCC:
Lightning Systems converting 35-foot diesel buses to battery-electrics in Boulder; cost-effective electrification
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/05/20180503-lightning.html

. . . The first demonstration vehicle will be on the road this summer and will give the bus more than 200 miles of all-electric range.

Tyler Yadon, director of engineering at Lightning Systems, said that the vehicle will have a 257 kWh battery pack coupled with a 220 kW traction motor with a 2-speed transmission. No further powertrain specs are available at this time.

Via Mobility Services, a local nonprofit social enterprise, operates Boulder’s HOP transit route, a high-frequency shuttle service serving Boulder hotspots like the University of Colorado campus and Downtown Boulder. This project will be the first step for the City of Boulder and Via in realizing their combined goal of converting the HOP fleet of 35-foot transit buses to all-electric vehicles.

Upon the success of the first vehicle, additional HOP service buses may be converted, providing an efficient and cost-effective alternative to replacing the entire fleet with new electric buses. Repowering an existing diesel transit bus with the LightningElectric product will cost one-third the price of a new electric bus.

In addition, there is a backlog of two years or more for new electric buses from other manufacturers, so the repowered buses will allow Via and the City of Boulder to quickly reach their goal of an all-electric fleet in an expedited timeframe. The city and Via staff plan to continue to transition the entire HOP fleet to zero-emission vehicles in the near-term.

  • People in Boulder are very interested in reducing the carbon footprint in all that we do. Boulder is built on a strong value system for recycling, so why not recycle our buses? Recycle them and make buses out of buses.

    —Frank Bruno, CEO, Via Mobility Services
Natalie Stiffler, Boulder senior transportation planner, said that repowering the demonstration vehicle is a step on the path to meeting GHG and climate commitment goals. She added that Boulder and Via are working on the Resiliency Project, a renewable energy project focused on adding solar at Via’s facility, which currently powers 30% of its business using solar energy.

  • The long-term plan is that we’ll be able to fuel the vehicles with the solar energy that’s collected at Via’s site.

    —Natalie Stiffler. . . .
 
Sorry if this was already mentioned

http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/aptapt/issues/2018-04-20/2.html

A fair bit of fluff but did confirm Park City has seven more buses on order
 
LTLFTcomposite said:
Sorry if this was already mentioned

http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/aptapt/issues/2018-04-20/2.html

A fair bit of fluff but did confirm Park City has seven more buses on order
Among the info,
The seven electric buses expected in November already have large wheels to fill. Their newly developed dual-drive technology, charging at night, will allow for an unprecedented 250-mile range, subsequently positioning them for use on most routes within the Park City Transit system.

A fleet solely dependent on fast-charge technology would necessitate exponentially increased charging infrastructure allowing for compulsory redundancy. The expanded battery range, though not fully proportionate with the standard range driven daily on given routes, would be manageable to charge midday. Every route travels through one of the two main transit centers; both have fast-charge overhead charge units. .
. .
 
Via GCC:
AVM secures MOU for 58 rapid-charging electric buses with Israeli transport company
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/05/20180503-avm.html

. . . AVM unveiled the first vehicle in its line of fast-charging, all-electric, mid-size shuttle buses, the EV27, at the Advanced Clean Expo (ACT) Expo 2018 in Long Beach, California, this week. (Earlier post.) Also available in 21- and 33-foot lengths, AVM’s EV27 is suited for loop-based routes supporting corporate and school campuses, hotels and rental car facilities, airports, and affording “first/last mile” solutions to private communities.

The MOU also includes plans to purchase a network of AVM’s 350 kW CCS 2.0 high-powered chargers which provide under 10-minute charging times along with a centralized fleet management system, AI-based route optimization software and Bluetooth beacon hardware. First deliveries are planned for Q1 2019.

AVM rapid-charge shuttles are powered by Yinlong Energy’s proprietary lithium–titanate battery (LTO) technology. A safe and long-lasting lithium-based technology, LTO cells can endure more than 20,000 cycles, ensuring the batteries’ lifespan exceeds that of the vehicle. This robust and proven technology takes full advantage of AVM’s 350 kW CCS 2.0 high-powered charger, enabling the rapid charge time.
 
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