Battery-electric bus discussion

[RegGuheert]

I missed this post at EV Sales about 2017 BEV buses in China until InsideEVs had a feature on it:

Sales were down 23% to 90.000 units, mainly due to changes to electric bus subsidies, which lead to a market concentration, as both market leaders, Yutong and BYD, increased their sales, despite the significant overall sales drop.

While BEV bus sales were down in 2017, China still accounted for over 95% of the global BEV bus market.

[cwerdna]

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/ ... sion-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.

[GRA]

Via GCC:

Momentum Dynamics deploys 200 kW wireless charging system for electric transit buses in Wenatchee, WA

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/04 ... entum.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 ... lator.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. . . .

[RegGuheert]

Via GCC:

Momentum Dynamics deploys 200 kW wireless charging system for electric transit buses in Wenatchee, WA

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/04 ... entum.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:

[edatoakrun]

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/loca ... 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.

[GRA]

Via GCC:

Lightning Systems converting 35-foot diesel buses to battery-electrics in Boulder; cost-effective electrification

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/05 ... tning.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. . . .

[LTLFTcomposite]

Sorry if this was already mentioned

http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/apt ... -20/2.html

A fair bit of fluff but did confirm Park City has seven more buses on order

[GRA]

Sorry if this was already mentioned

http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/apt ... -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. .
. .

[GRA]

Via GCC:

AVM secures MOU for 58 rapid-charging electric buses with Israeli transport company

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/05 ... 3-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.

[RegGuheert]

Lion Electric Company deploys 150 electric school buses in CA:

FPGF announced this month that they have deployed 40 all-electric school buses from The Lion Electric Co. over the last 12 months – bringing their fleet to “150 all-electric school buses in the last two years, with more than a million miles driven.”