Transit Authorities Tepid On Electric Buses Despite Promising Tech

Despite a surplus of cities seeking ways to reduce air pollution, electric buses haven’t taken off in the United States as expected. While analysts still anticipate a sudden surge in electrification in the years to come, present-day transit authorities have continued opting for dirty diesels as the primary method of moving urbanites around town.

The primary hurdles are infrastructure and cost. Whereas subway tunnels come with equipped with a third-rail ready to deliver the voltage necessary for mass transit, above-ground applications abandoned wire networks the second the trolley fell out of fashion. Electric buses don’t need either, but they do require reliable charging infrastructure and a larger-than-average initial investment.

According to Reuters, a typical 40-foot e-bus costs around $750,000, compared to roughly $435,000 for a diesel-powered model of a similar size. While cities may recoup that expense via maintenance and fuel costs, they still have to spend additional capital to supply an electrified fleet with a reliable charging network.

That’s a tall order for congested cities with limited space at the depot. New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority is often faulted for being slow, unreliable, and disorganized. Subway delays are not uncommon and bus ridership has declined over the last few years. But when forced to counter rail lines entering into extended maintenance periods, it still opts for a diesel-based solution. In fact, the MTA only started a pilot program to test 10 electric buses in April of this year. Meanwhile, it’s planning to deploy 200 diesel buses to cope with the shutdown of the L Train in 2019.

An analysis by Reuters showed that, out of the more than 65,000 public buses currently on U.S. roads, only about 300 are electric. “People worry about being an early adopter. Remember 20 years ago someone paid $20,000 for a plasma TV and then 10 years later it was $900 at Best Buy,” explained Chris Stoddart, senior vice president of engineering and customer service for New Flyer. “People just don’t want a science project.”

A lot of transit agencies are also concerned that EV performance isn’t predictable enough in bad weather or in extreme circumstances. San Francisco held off on electrified buses specifically because city officials worry about the area’s exceptionally steep hills. “The technology isn’t quite there yet,” said Erica Kato, a spokeswoman for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.

In Massachusetts, the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority in Springfield and Worcester’s Regional Transit Authority have both ditched plans to purchase additional EVs after a test fleet performed poorly in extreme cold. Phoenix, Arizona, also found electric busses ill-suited for extreme conditions. The Valley Metro Regional Public Transportation Authority reported one bus never achieved more than 89.9 miles on a full charge — less than two-thirds of its advertised range. It attributed the lackluster performance to running the the vehicle’s air conditioning in exceptionally warm weather.

Another serious concern is reduced government funding. Federal dough for bus buying is about 25 percent lower than it was just five years ago, according to Rob Healy, vice president of government affairs for the American Public Transportation Association.

However, EV technologies are improving as the cost of manufacturing high-yield batteries shrinks. That, combined with green initiatives, leaves plenty of market analysts believing electric fleets will surge in the years to come. Navigant Research expects electric units to make up 27 percent of new bus sales by 2027 while CALSTART, a California-based nonprofit promoting “clean” transportation, estimates 50 to 60 percent of new all buses will be zero emission compliant by 2030.

[Image: New Flyer]