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Grid-connected Electric Buses Could Displace Diesels

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Re: Grid-connected Electric Buses Could Displace Diesels

#21

Post by ams6110 »

Shivetya wrote: post #19

Considering what school systems pay in fuel bills I am surprised there isn't more effort made at state if not national levels in the US to come up with an affordable if not subsidized by the Fed electric school bus. It would eliminate the hazards of diesel/gasoline fumes for students; it has been measured that inside the parked bus actually can be worse than outside so many districts forbid parked buses from idling.…

Our local school system looked into hybrid buses a few years ago. Amazingly they did a rather unbiased analysis and found that there was not a financial advantage to be realized and they stayed with conventional gasoline and diesel buses.

Natural gas is likely the cleaner but still practical compromise. Remember school buses are also used for things such as transporting athletic teams, bands, orchestras, etc. to events that are farther away than the range of an electric vehicle.

Re: Grid-connected Electric Buses Could Displace Diesels

#22

Post by userbinator »

jmspring wrote: post #20

This reminds me of he guy who hacked to prius to run on the Muni lines in SF -- http://www.thebolditalic.com/articles/4717-hacked-prius-runn...

Unfortunately it was an April Fools, but Trollius would've been a great name for it.

Re: Grid-connected Electric Buses Could Displace Diesels

#23

Post by ensignavenger »

ams6110 wrote: post #21
Shivetya wrote: post #19

Considering what school systems pay in fuel bills I am surprised there isn't more effort made at state if not national levels in the US to come up with an affordable if not subsidized by the Fed electric school bus. It would eliminate the hazards of diesel/gasoline fumes for students; it has been measured that inside the parked bus actually can be worse than outside so many districts forbid parked buses from idling.…

Our local school system looked into hybrid buses a few years ago. Amazingly they did a rather unbiased analysis and found that there was not a financial advantage to be realized and they stayed with conventional gasoline and diesel buses. Natural gas is likely the cleaner but still practical compromise. Remember school buses are also used for things such as transporting athletic teams, bands, orchestras, etc. to even…

That would be an interesting analysis to see- any chance you could get a copy and post it?

"...school buses are also used for things such as transporting athletic teams, bands, orchestras, etc..."

I don't think many schools need their entire fleet to be able to transport students long distances. They could convert some, or maybe even most, of the buses to electric, depending on the circumstances.

Re: Grid-connected Electric Buses Could Displace Diesels

#24

Post by jessaustin »

ams6110 wrote: post #21
Shivetya wrote: post #19

Considering what school systems pay in fuel bills I am surprised there isn't more effort made at state if not national levels in the US to come up with an affordable if not subsidized by the Fed electric school bus. It would eliminate the hazards of diesel/gasoline fumes for students; it has been measured that inside the parked bus actually can be worse than outside so many districts forbid parked buses from idling.…

Our local school system looked into hybrid buses a few years ago. Amazingly they did a rather unbiased analysis and found that there was not a financial advantage to be realized and they stayed with conventional gasoline and diesel buses. Natural gas is likely the cleaner but still practical compromise. Remember school buses are also used for things such as transporting athletic teams, bands, orchestras, etc. to even…

...events that are farther away than the range of an electric vehicle.

This would be a reason to have four or five conventional-fuel vehicles. 90% of most fleets could still be shorter-range.

Re: Grid-connected Electric Buses Could Displace Diesels

#25

Post by Decade »

hristov wrote: post #4
stephengillie wrote: post #3

An electric-grid bus system is highly successful in Seattle. They reviewed the "trolleybus" system in 2011 and it continues to operate. http://metro.kingcounty.gov/up/projects/trolleyevaluation.ht...

Also in san francisco. Also all over eastern europe. These trolleybuses are really good in places with hills because electric engines have very nice fat torque curves. If you put an internal combustion engine bus on the hills of SF there will be a lot of smoke, noise and gear grinding. However the existing trolleybuses require overhead wires which are unsightly and become very expensive for places with lower populati…

As a rider, the trolleys are my least favorite vehicles. In theory, electric is great, lots of torque, whatever. In practice, they're the slowest vehicles in MUNI's diverse fleet. Go too fast, and the trolley pole comes off the wire, and the driver has to walk back and reconnect it. Get stuck behind a slow driver, and you have a whole pile of buses moving glacially. My least favorite time was when I had to use either the 14 or the 49, depending on the destination, because they share a lot of the same route.

The diesels work just fine on first or second gear, and the steepest hills with buses are diesel. I find especially amusing how the 29 scrapes the ground when it moves on and off from Excelsior Heights. The very steepest hills with public transportation have cable cars, obviously.

Re: Grid-connected Electric Buses Could Displace Diesels

#26

Post by [deleted] »

Decade wrote: post #25
hristov wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also in san francisco. Also all over eastern europe. These trolleybuses are really good in places with hills because electric engines have very nice fat torque curves. If you put an internal combustion engine bus on the hills of SF there will be a lot of smoke, noise and gear grinding. However the existing trolleybuses require overhead wires which are unsightly and become very expensive for places with lower populati…

As a rider, the trolleys are my least favorite vehicles. In theory, electric is great, lots of torque, whatever. In practice, they're the slowest vehicles in MUNI's diverse fleet. Go too fast, and the trolley pole comes off the wire, and the driver has to walk back and reconnect it. Get stuck behind a slow driver, and you have a whole pile of buses moving glacially. My least favorite time was when I had to use either…

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