Which the average range of an electric bus? This is one of the main questions that public transport operators and authorities are asking themselves when they are dealing with a product, the battery-electric bus, which does not yet have a sufficient track record to allow certain evidence.
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Certainly, it is known that the range of an electric bus is influenced by the outside temperature, the use of air conditioning systems and, above all, heating. Last but not least, the driving behavior is decisive as well. On the basis of the information gathered so far, let’s try to sum up what we can outline on the topic: how much does an electric bus consume?
Empiric figures come from the Ebus Test yearly held in Germany under the coordination of the specialized magazine Omnibusspiegel. In , the test focused on 18-meter articulated buses. Three manufacturers took up the challenge: Bozankaya Sileo, Solaris, VDL. Following three days of tests in real operations condition on Bonn’s streets, the Ebus Test team measures the consumption of the vehicles, used to provide an average value between the competitors.
Then, which was the result? Consumption was between 1.65 and 1.84 kilowatt hours per kilometer. Heating off but air conditioning on. Around 20 per cent of losses during charging operation should be taken into consideration. Based on this data, a 18-meter bus with 350 kWh of capacity can cover a range between 190 and 210 kilometres.
Followingly, in the focus of Ebus Test was on 12-meter buses. This time, there were seven contenders on the starting blocks. The calculation of electric bus consumption was not easy, as temperatures were slightly above zero, so a considerable amount of the energy consumed went to heating. Also, not all vehicles were charged under the same conditions: some charging stations were located indoors, others outdoors.
Adding another bit to an already diversified mix, buses with a diesel-fuelled auxiliary heating system consumed less power than those whose ambient temperature control is entirely battery-powered. As is natural, diesel and power consumption levels are inversely proportionate to each other.
So, these were the results: vehicles heated with the help of an auxiliary fossil fuel heater consume from 110.5 kWh plus 20 litres of fuel to 144 kWh plus 6.4 litres. Power consumption on buses with full-electric heating, “diluted” over 100 km, stands in the range between 179 and 235 kWh. In other words, consumption is reported to span between 1 and 1.4 kWh/km on buses with fossil fuelled heating systems, and up to 2.35 on electrically heated ones.
That is to say: taking as a sample a solobus with (considerable) battery capacity of 300 kWh, range of the electric bus varies from 214 to 300 if diesel-heated and as low as 130 km if electrically-heated. A huge difference.
A few hints on this topics come from an interview we had with Viriciti COO and co-founder Alexander Schabert. ViriCiti is a Dutch telematics company founded as a startup in with the mission of providing fleet management platforms to operators, particularly with regards to electric buses. The data collected by the company can be useful to determine which is the average consumption of electric buses, and therefore their range on one charge.
«On average, a 12-meter bus has in the best conditions a consumpion of 0,8 kWh per km – Shabert said -. We are talking of operations in a normal day with 20 degrees, no much traffic and a skilled driver. Everything depends on the heating. A bus operating in the winter, for instance at minus 10 degrees, with electric heating turned on can reach a consumption of 2,3 – 2,5 kWh per km. With diesel heating it could be 1,5».
Making a quick calculation, based on the figures provided by ViriCiti, a sample 12-meter battery-electric bus with 300 kWh of battery capacity can cover, in the best days of the year, as many as 375 km. But on a winter day, the mileage decrease to a figure between 120 and 130 km, is electrically heated. Diesel heating allow a 200 km range.
Still Alexander Schabert from ViriCiti told us: «We see about 30 per cent impact from the driving behaviour. Drivers that don’t use regeneration because they push the brakes hard, and this activates directly the mechanical brake, regenerate only 5 per cent. But if the driver use regeneration he can achieve 35 to 40 per cent regeneration».
With regards to the impact of cold weather on the electric bus range, a study by CTE in late (realized in the US and funded under a National Fuel Cell Bus Program grant) showed that the switch to cold temperatures (between -5 and 0° C) affects the range of up to 38 per cent decrease in case of battery-electric buses, and up to 23 per cent decrease for hydrogen-powered buses.
The study have been carried on by the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE), a nonprofit organization with a mission to improve the health of our climate and communities by bringing people together to develop and commercialize clean, efficient, and sustainable transportation technologies.
In October , Iveco Bus marked a new record with the Iveco E-WAY 12-meter (Heuliez GX 337 Elec). The vehicle, in fact, covered as many as 527 km on a single charge during a test day. The bus travelled for 12 hours at an average speed of 46 km/h. Heating and air conditioning were turned off. But it’s fundamental to acknowledge that such a performance, although being remarkable, couldn’t be achieved in normal traffic condition. However, it stands out as remarkable.
Efficiency tests for e-buses have became quite mainstream lately, with many electric bus manufacturers launching range tests in order to show how far their models can go on one charge. 550 km is the result achieved by the Lion’s City E 12 on a test monitored by TÜV SÜD in May .
MAN made public that «The fully electric city bus ran for exactly 24 hours on the routes between Karlsfelder Straße, Moosacher and Puchheimer station, with drivers from MAN ProfiDrive behind the wheel. The MAN eBus Efficiency Run was also accompanied by experts from official testing body TÜV SÜD, who sealed the charging socket on the bus before setting off, removed the seal at the end of the day and testified to the range driven».
In a self-managed test entitled ‘the MaxiMile Challenge’ and held in September , VDL Bus & Coach’s new generation Citea achieved the result of more than 24 hours of continuous driving, covering a range of over 500 kilometres.
VDL Bus & Coach deployed one of the new generation Citea demo vehicles for this test. The LF122, with a 490 kWh battery pack, was loaded to 16,500 kilograms to simulate a realistic number of passengers.
In spring , the World Resources Institute (WRI) has released two reports on the topic of battery electric bus deployment, putting Asian, African and South American cities in the spotlight.
Electric vehicles seem to be a part of the future, but the truth is, they have been a significant part of transportation history and continue to shape how people travel. With major car companies creating different models of electric cars– like the show-stopping Tesla, or the Nissan Leaf that offers extraordinary value to consumers– EVs, or electric vehicles, will one day reign over transportation.
Electric vehicles have a long history with much progression, but they still have a long way to go before they are fully accepted as the main method of transportation. But what if electric buses could be the technology we need to help flip the switch? Keep reading to find out how much electric vehicles have changed over the years and how electric buses could transform the transportation industry.
Did you know that electric vehicles have been around since the 19th century? It all started in the early s in Hungary, the Netherlands, and the U.S. when researchers began exploring the idea of battery-powered vehicles. There had already been movement with an electric carriage, a horseless carriage that was powered by an electric motor. But, as people wanted to get around more easily and quickly, cars seemed like a more reasonable and faster alternative to horse-drawn carriages.
It wasn’t until the s that the first successful electric car was made in the US. The electric vehicle could hold up to six passengers and could reach a whopping 14 miles per hour.
The Queen Victoria Electric Car, an example of what an early electric car looked like. Image Credit: “Hugh Dolnar wrote the article from which I took the photo. I didn’t see a photo credit.“, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
This helped spark interest in electric cars, and automakers started building their own versions around the nation. Due to this sudden inspiration, electric cars reached peak popularity by and made up a majority of all vehicles on the road.
In fact, electric cars were the preferred vehicles. Gasoline cars required a lot of effort to drive, from changing gears to starting the engine with a gruesome hand crank, as well as the strong and unpleasant exhaust fumes.
However, improvements were made to the gasoline-powered car that caused the electric car to lose some momentum. The hand crank was soon replaced with an electric starter and gasoline-powered vehicles were becoming more affordable. Soon, gasoline cars started to look like a better option for Americans itching to go out and explore the nation’s growing and improved road system.
Image Credit: Klaus Nahr from Germany;cropped by uploader Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
By , electric cars practically disappeared. It wasn’t until the s when a gas shortage hit, causing gas prices to soar, that electric cars entered back into the marketplace, but gasoline-powered cars still reigned due to better performance and reliability.
Once the s hit, electric cars made became more popular as environmental concerns became a primary concern. By the peak of the 21st century, the technology of electric cars looked more promising than ever with the release of the Toyota Prius, the first majorly manufactured electric vehicle. Today, electric vehicles are on the rise and will continue to advance as more Americans demand a more efficient and eco-friendly vehicle.
There are many benefits to owning an electric vehicle, and with technology continuously advancing, there will only continue to be more.
1. They are cheaper to operate and maintain. One of the best things about owning an electric vehicle is all the money you save. An average American burns around 525 gallons of fuel a year– that sounds expensive. One of the obvious benefits is the elimination of the need to ever gas up, meaning your gas money can go towards something else.
And while the price of gas is always uncertain, an EV offers a more stable maintenance cost as they do not require gas, oil changes and other maintenance costs of a gasoline-powered car, just the occasional tire rotation and air check. Plus, all the cost of electric vehicles and their maintenance is expected to drop over the next five years as the technology improves.
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2. Ride in (quieter) style. Since electric vehicles run off the pure power of electricity, they are zippier and provide a smoother ride without the roar of an engine, meaning you get some peace and quiet on your commute. One ride in an EV and you’ll never want to return to your clunky, gas-guzzling car.
3. They’re good for the environment. Obviously, this is one of the main reasons why anyone would want to drive an electric vehicle. Electric vehicles can drastically decrease the amount of emissions that contribute to global warming and pollution. Electric vehicles can not only help combat global warming, but also help improve overall public health.
4. You can charge at home. Imagine refueling your car in the comfort of your own home. That’s possible with an electric vehicle. It’s easy to install a charging station in your home– plus, many states offer incentives, like tax breaks, if you get a charging station in your home.
While there are many benefits of electric vehicles, there are a few cons that prevent consumers from choosing an EV over a gasoline-powered car.
1. They have limited range. For now, at least. Range anxiety is understandably a huge factor for many consumers with the more affordable models only reaching about 80 to 100 miles per charge. This is an easy disadvantage to work around if a driver plans their trip accordingly and ensures they know where charging stations are located. Luckily, EVs are improving every year and before we know it, range anxiety will be a thing of the past.
2. It can take a while to charge them. It’s not as simple as stopping by a gas station and filling up in 5-10 minutes. Unfortunately, charging up can take some time depending on the model of the car. With the limited amount of charging stations around the nation too, it can be a little nerve-racking when driving long distances.
It’s recommended EV drivers charge up while they’re sleeping and learn where charging stations are. Fortunately, battery technology is constantly advancing and in the works to become more efficient, charge faster, and last longer.
3. They are more expensive to purchase. Cheaper consumer electric vehicles can run around $20k-$30k, more expensive than their gasoline-powered competitors. However, many argue that owning and maintaining an EV makes up for the initial cost in the long-run as maintenance is much cheaper and the vehicles last longer.
So if the benefits of electric vehicles outweigh the cons, why don’t you see more driving around? The transition from gas-guzzling vehicles is happening at a much slower pace than you’d think. With higher prices and range anxiety overpowering consumers’ decision process, it’s no wonder it’s been a difficult process.
Now is the time for a rEVolution more than ever—but how do we make that happen? The answer is easy: electric buses. They are a better choice because they:
1. Make Up a Majority of Emissions
It’s important to realize that large vehicles are a major factor of everyday life, along with cars that consumers drive to work, to school, to the grocery, and much more.
But have you thought about what other vehicles you see every day? Garbage trucks, commercial trucks, and most importantly, buses. People depend on bigger vehicles and couldn’t imagine their lives without them. School buses, charter buses, transit buses, and more help transport people and products every day.
Bigger vehicles may only make up about 4% of America’s vehicles on the road, but they account for 26% of American fuel use and 29% of vehicle CO2 emissions. On top of that, buses and other heavy vehicles can consume up to 14,000 gallons a year. It makes sense when you consider the size of them. Imagine the difference that could be made if cities just electrified their buses.
2. Have a Better Build
With buses driving hundreds of miles a day, they easily get worn down and require a lot of maintenance. Luckily, electric buses provide improved reliability, maintenance benefits, and improved quality of the driver’s trip. Just like consumer electric cars, electric buses are efficient, fast, and only use 20% of the raw energy of a diesel bus.
3. Are Economically Smarter
Batteries are getting cheaper, and like stated above, they last longer and the maintenance costs are drastically better. While bigger vehicles, such as buses, can be approximately 20% more expensive to purchase, their operating costs are significantly lower, saving money in the long-run.
While a diesel bus can only get around 3.9 MPG, an electric bus can reach 21 MPGe, or the miles per gallon equivalent. Plus, it’s easier and cheaper to take care of an electric vehicle that doesn’t require fluids, filters and moving parts like a traditional diesel bus. The total cost to own and operate an electric bus over its lifetime is 35% lower than traditional buses, and with battery and other costs decreasing as well, there’ll be no excuse not to implement electric buses in the next few years.
4. Can Improve the Environment and Public Health
The obvious reason why electric buses are ideal is to help protect the environment. In urban settings specifically, buses are constantly in motion and release a significant amount of emissions. An electric bus can emit 4-6x fewer greenhouse gases than a gasoline-powered bus.
Vehicle emissions not only harm the environment, but disproportionately affect people living in inner cities. Internal combustion engines release air a long list of air pollutants by first releasing primary pollutants directly into the atmosphere, and then secondary pollution from those emissions reacting with elements in the atmosphere. More than 150 million people in the U.S. currently live in cities with air quality that doesn’t meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
The American Lung Association (AMA) conducted a study showing that gasoline-powered vehicle health costs calculated to around $11.82 per gallon, with climate impacts adding another $6.55 per gallon, equaling to a total of $24 billion in health costs and $13 billion in climate costs. Switching to electric buses alone could dramatically improve air quality, health, and health costs among citizens while equally help combat environmental concerns.
The EV landscape is changing at a significant pace. With concerns like global warming, air pollution, public health, and traffic congestion, it’s a prime time for electric vehicles to step up their game.
Companies like GreenPower Motor Company Inc. are working to defeat the challenges that electric vehicles face today, especially heavy-duty vehicles like buses, by addressing problems directly in order to truly make a difference in the transportation industry.
“The main challenge urban planners face with transitioning to electric vehicles is the initial cost to purchase an electric bus,” says Brendan Riley, President of GreenPower Motor Company Inc. “Typically, an electric bus can cost up to 2x more than a traditional diesel bus, but we are working to create affordable products, and with battery prices expected to decrease over the next five years, there’s no reason why cost will be an issue anymore.”
In fact, GreenPower’s EV550 all-electric double-decker bus costs the same as a double-decker diesel bus, and with less upkeep and maintenance costs, the EV is obviously the better choice.
GreenPower’s EV550 is the world’s first all-electric double-decker bus, providing passengers a smooth, quiet, and zero-emission ride.
“Another challenge that urban planners face is the ability to charge the vehicles properly,” Riley says. Urban planners have to plan accordingly when considering charging methods. Luckily, GreenPower is constantly working on building the right tools and using smaller batteries coupled with in-route charging methods so buses that run 24/7 can make a stop at the end of their route for a quick charging session.
This also helps cities adapt to electric buses, as planners in bigger cities don’t have to worry about building charging stations, but can rather implement quick charging spots in an already established bus route.
“We use lithium-ion batteries for heavy-duty vehicles so they are capable of more range and faster charging, which is crucial for city transit,” Riley explains. GreenPower’s new EV550 double-decker bus in an example of the ever-changing battery technology; it’s able to drive an impressive 250 miles on just one single charge thanks to its lithium-ion battery.
“Urban planners also have to consider the weight of the vehicle. When you’re planning routes, you want to make sure the vehicle isn’t too heavy and won’t damage the roads,” says Riley. Electric buses can end up being 10-15% heavier than diesel buses. That’s why GreenPower is working on making models lighter and allocating their space effectively.
“Our buses are designed from day one as electric vehicles,” says Riley. “Instead of taking existing bus designs and fitting everything in them, we draw the battery and electric motor first, and then build the bus around that.” The EV550 double-decker bus can carry a total of 130 passengers– 100 seated comfortable and 30 standees. By designing a vehicle that is meant to be an electric bus, all space can be accounted for, and as battery sizes continue to decrease, electric buses will have even more room and weigh less.
People know that EVs are the future, and it’s only a matter of time before they make up a majority of the vehicles on the road. With customer perceptions changing and companies like GreenPower introducing more products and platforms than any other EV company, electric buses have the potential to make a dramatic difference.
“If we electrified all our buses, trucks, and taxis, we could get rid of two-thirds of vehicle pollution,” says Riley. “Although they only make up about 10% of vehicles on the road, they contribute to 67% of all the pollution.”
In fact, it’s expected that one-third of new transit buses will be electric by , with hopes that half will be electric by , and then 100% of fleet purchases to be all-electric by .
You don’t have to be a futurist to say this is the future. It’s happening right before our eyes, and it’s up to us be a part of the rEVolution.
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