Battery electric bus explained

A battery electric bus is an electric bus that is driven by an electric motor and obtains energy from on-board batteries. Many trolleybuses use batteries as an auxiliary or emergency power source.

In 2018, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) found that total operating costs per mile of an electric bus fleet and a diesel bus fleet in the United States are about equal.

History

The London Electrobus Company started running the first ever service of battery-electric buses between London's Victoria station and Liverpool Street on 15 July 1907. However, the weight and inefficiency of batteries meant that other propulsion technology - such as electric trolleybuses or diesel buses - became commonplace.

The first battery buses were mostly small, mini- or midi- buses. The improvement of battery technology from around 2010 led to the emergence of the mass-produced battery bus, including heavier units such as 12.2adj=onNaNadj=on standard buses and articulated buses. China was the first country to introduce modern battery electric buses in large scale. In 2009 Shanghai catenary bus lines began switching to battery buses.^[1] In September 2010, Chinese automobile company BYD began manufacturing the BYD K9, one of the most popular electric buses

The first city to heavily invest in electric buses was Shenzhen, China. The city began rolling out electric buses made by BYD in 2011, with the objective of having a fully electric fleet. By 2017, Shenzhen's entire fleet of over 16,300 buses was replaced with electric buses, the largest fleet of electric buses of any city in the world.^[2]

According to Bloomberg, "China had about 99 percent of the 385,000 electric buses on the roads worldwide in 2017, accounting for 17 percent of the country’s entire fleet." Chinese cities are adding 1,900 electric buses per week.^[3]

Charging

Charging electric bus batteries is not as simple as refueling a diesel engine. Special attention, monitoring, and scheduling are required to make optimal use of the charging process, while also ensuring proper battery maintenance and safekeeping. Some operators manage these challenges by purchasing extra buses. This way the charging can take place only at night, which has the further advantage of mitigating the strain on the power grid since charging is then taking place while power consumption elsewhere is minimal. While this is a safe solution, it is also very costly and not scalable.^[4]

Another solution is ensuring that the vehicle daily schedule takes into account also the need to charge, keeping the overall schedule as close to optimal as possible.^[5] Today, there are various software companies that help bus operators manage their electric bus charging schedule. These solutions ensure that buses continue to operate safely, without any unplanned stops and inconvenience to passengers.^[5]

Supercapacitors can be charged rapidly, reducing the time needed to prepare to resume operation.^[6]

The Society of Automotive Engineers has published Recommended Practice SAE J3105 to standardize physical automated connection interfaces for conductive charging systems since 2020.^[7] For communication between charger and electric bus the same ISO 15118 protocol is used as for passenger car charging. The only differences are in the charging power, voltage and physical interface.^{[8] [9]}

Pantographs and underbody collectors can be integrated in bus stops to quicken electric bus recharge, making it possible to use a smaller battery on the bus, which reduces the initial investment and subsequent costs.^{[10] [11] [12] [13] [14]}

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

Battery electric buses offer the potential for zero-emissions, in addition to much quieter operation and better acceleration compared to traditional buses. They also eliminate infrastructure needed for a constant grid connection and allow routes to be modified without infrastructure changes, in contrast with a trolleybus. They typically recover braking energy to increase efficiency by a regenerative brake. With energy consumption of about 1.2kWh/km, the cost of ownership is lower than diesel buses.^{[15] [16]}

Disadvantages

As of 2016 battery buses have less range, higher weight, higher procurement costs. The reduced infrastructure for overhead lines is offset by the costs of the infrastructure to recharge the batteries. In addition, the additional weight of batteries in a battery-electric bus means that they have a lower passenger capacity than trolleybuses in jurisdictions where there is a legal limit on axle loads on roads. Battery buses are used almost exclusively in urban areas rather than for long-haul transportation. Urban transit features relatively short intervals between charging opportunities. Sufficient recharging can take place within 4 to 5 minutes (NaNabbr=onNaNabbr=on) usually by induction or catenary.^[15]

Finally, as with other electric-powered alternatives to fossil-fueled engines, battery electric buses are not a truly zero-emission solution if the power grid they rely on for charging is not also free of fossil fuel energy sources. The lithium batteries may also contribute to environmental pollution around the world where lithium mining takes place.

Total operating cost per mile

NREL publishes zero-emission bus evaluation results from various commercial operators. NREL published following total operating cost per mile: with County Connection, for June 2017 through May 2018, for an 8-vehicle diesel bus fleet, the total operating cost per mile was $0.84; for a 4-vehicle electric bus fleet, $1.11; with Long Beach Transit, for 2018, for a 10-vehicle electric bus fleet, $0.85; and with Foothill Transit, for 2018, for a 12-vehicle electric bus fleet, $0.84.

Examples

Asia

• The largest battery bus fleet is in Shenzhen, China - with over 16,000 buses.
• In 2015 BYD planned to launch the first battery-double-decker bus.^[17]
• In Gumi, South Korea in 2013 a road section was modified to allow inductive charging while driving. The technology was to be tested with two electric buses.^[18]
• In 2015, BYD aimed to sell 6,000 of its buses worldwide.^[19] BYD is the world leader in the sale of electric vehicles.^[20]
• In Iran in 2021 the first electrical bus manufactured by Parsan Electrical Bus Manufacturing Company with the brand name of SHETAB.^{[21] [22]}

Europe

• In 2011, bus manufacturer Contrac Cobus Industries from Wiesbaden announced the Cobus 2500e.
• In autumn 2012, Czech manufacturer SOR supplied a 8m (26feet) vehicle has 22 seats, 35 standing places and a range of NaNkm (-2,147,483,648miles) a day, up to NaNkm (-2,147,483,648miles) can be extended. The bus is recharged with a quick charger twice a day for one hour. Its maximum speed is 80km/h.^[23]
• Beginning in 2012, the Wiener Linien on bus routes 2A and 3A use electric buses. They are charged to the end user via a pantograph, which is applied to short catenary pieces. These are fed by the tram catenary. The cars have a range of around 150km (90miles).^[24]
• In May 2013, a battery bus began running between the airport and Palexpo in Geneva, Switzerland. This bus can be partially charged within 15 seconds. At the end of the line the charging process takes three to four minutes. The project cost five million francs.^[25]
• In December 2013, BYD Auto electric buses entered service in London on two routes.^[26]
• The Regional Transport Ruhr-Lippe GmbH (RLG) (Germany) began operating an electric minibus as a Quartierbus in May 2013. Vehicle range is approximately 120km (80miles). Recharging takes about three hours when fully discharged. Recharging consumes over 1.5 hours during the lunch break.^[27]
• In 2013 battery buses entered service in the Netherlands.
• In Germany in 2013 battery buses were undergoing tests in Bremen and in Bonn.^[28]
• In Braunschweig battery buses entered regular service at the end of 2013. The "Emil" (Electromobility means of inductive load) project uses inductive charging.^{[29] [30]} Both vehicles and charging stations were developed with Bombardier.^[31]
• Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems began testing battery buses on November 3, 2014.^[32] On June 17, 2015, passenger service began on the first route in Saxony. A four-minute stop at the last stop provides sufficient charge, with a high-power charger to preheat the passenger compartment.^[33]
• The Munich public transport company began testing battery buses in 2008. Experiments with Ebusco vehicles of were expected to reach a range of 300km (200miles) using lithium iron phosphate batteries.^[34]
• In Pinneberg testing began in 2014.^[35]
• In September 2015 four battery buses entered service in Berlin. The Solaris Urbino 12 charge by induction at the last stop.^{[36] [37]}
• In July 2015 the Schleswig-Holstein Rendsburg purchased a Sileo battery bus with a range of 200km (100miles) for 450,000 euros. The bus does not charge during operation and can be operated for half a day. The bus is charged from a rooftop photovoltaic system.^[38]
• In Bonn test entered regular service in 2013. The range is at least 200km (100miles).^[39]
• Botosani, Romania planned for public transport to operate fully electrically. at a conversion cost of 20 million euros.^[40]
• As of 2024, there are around 1,400 battery electric buses in London,^[41] with the world's first battery electric double decker bus entering service in 2015.^[42]
• As of 2024, there are over 1,700 electric buses operating in Moscow.^[43] This is the largest electric bus fleet in Europe ahead of London's fleet of around 950 buses.^[44]

North America

• In California, battery school buses have been operating since the end of October 2013 because of significantly lower operating costs, are used.^[45] In Hamburg Rampini battery buses entered service in 2014 on line 48.^{[46] [47]}
• The California Department of Transportation contracted with Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) to switch its buses to 85 BYD battery buses with a range of at least 160miles. Models include a 402NaN2 low-floor transit bus, a 602NaN2 low-floor articulated and a 452NaN2 commuter bus. Savings were expected to be $46,000 (41,300 euros) per bus per year.^{[48] [49]}
• In 2017, the MTA (New York City, US) started a test fleet of battery-electric buses, with five New Flyer Xcelsior XE40 CHARGE buses and five Proterra Catalyst BE40 buses. In 2019, The MTA ordered their first electric articulated buses, 15 New Flyer Xcelsior XE60 CHARGE buses.
• In 2018, Columbia Transportation relegated their older fleet of diesel Nova Bus LFS buses to backup duty and bought six New Flyer Xcelsior XE40 CHARGE buses to replace them.
• Capital Metro, serving Austin, Texas, started conversion of its bus fleet (about 450 vehicles) in 2019. Currently there are 12 buses on the road, composed from New Flyer and Proterra-made fleet.^[50]

See also

• Charging station
• List of electric bus makers and models
• Solar bus
• Trolleybus

Notes and References

1. https://archive.today/20130219194007/http://www.trolleymotion.ch/index.php?id=115&L=0&n_ID=1617 Shanghai: Investitionen im Netz bleiben aus, Meldung auf www.trolleymotion.ch vom 12. November 2012
2. Web site: Ximin . Han . All Shenzhen public buses now electric 全球规模最大！深圳专营公交车辆实现纯电动化 . 2022-10-26 . Weixin Official Accounts Platform.
3. News: 2018-04-23. Electric Buses Are Hurting the Oil Industry. en. Bloomberg News. 2020-09-08.
4. Web site: The Myth of Whole-Home Battery Backup . 2022-06-18 . www.greentechmedia.com.
5. Watt . Adrienne . 2014-08-14 . 2. Project Management Overview . en.
6. MIT-Technology Review: Next Stop: Ultracapacitor Buses, aufgerufen 18. November 2013
7. Web site: Electric Vehicle Power Transfer System Using Conductive Automated Connection Devices . January 20, 2020 . SAE International . 8 June 2022.
8. Brokenwire: Wireless Disruption of CCS Electric Vehicle Charging . Köhler, Sebastian . Baker, Richard . Strohmeier, Martin . Martinovic, Ivan . February 2022 . cs.CR . 2202.02104 .
9. US20180001776A1. In-cable control box mounted on electric vehicle charging cable and method for charging electric vehicle using the same. 2018-01-04. KIM. Yang. Lee. Ji Hown. Chang Min. So Jin.
10. http://www.abb.com/cawp/seitp202/eae3e161cc498140c1257b7b00552bcd.aspx Large-capacity, flash-charging, battery-powered pilot bus takes to the street
11. Web site: Current collectors for electric busses. Schunk Carbon Technology. www.schunk-sbi.com. 2019-09-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20170121155431/http://www.schunk-sbi.com/en/sbi/ElektrobusStromabnehmer/schunk01.c.78265.en. 2017-01-21. dead.
12. A Giant Charger That Juices Up Electric Buses in Three Minutes. Wired . Golson . Jordan .
13. http://revolution-green.com/ultrafast-electric-bus-charging/ Ultrafast Electric Bus Charging
14. Trolley:Motion, 27. Mai 2013: Shanghai - Weitere Reduzierung des Trolleybusnetzes - ungewisse Zukunft, aufgerufen 8. Oktober 2013
15. http://www.edda-bus.de/de/Praxiseinsatz.html Fraunhofer-Institut für Verkehrs- und Infrastruktursysteme
16. http://www.china-observer.de/index.php/2014/05/12/china-byd-erhalt-rekordbestellung-uber-2000-e-busse-und-1000-elektroautos/ BYD erhält Rekordbestellung über 2000 eBusse und 1000 Elektroautos
17. http://www.bydeurope.com/vehicles/ebus/index.php BYD
18. Bild.de, 8. August 2013: Südkorea setzt Straßen unter Strom, aufgerufen 21. Oktober 2013
19. http://cleantechnica.com/2016/01/06/huge-byd-storage-project-in-lancaster-byds-ev-master-plan-teslas-ev-master-plan-cleantech-talk-16/ BYD anticipated sales of 6,000 electric buses worldwide in 2015
20. http://gas2.org/2015/12/28/byd-is-worlds-largest-ev-manufacturer/ China’s BYD is World’s Largest EV Manufacturer
21. Web site: SHETAB electrical bus, the first vehicle designed with PLM technology in Iran. 2021-04-27. www.linkedin.com. en.
22. Web site: اتوبوس برقی شتاب، اولین خودروی طراحی شده با فناوری PLM در ایران. 2021-04-27. روزنامه دنیای اقتصاد. fa.
23. http://www.inmod.de/de/technologie/inmod_bus Der SOR-Elektrobus auf www.inmod.de
24. http://wien.orf.at/news/stories/2549394/ Elektrobusse ab 2013 in der City.
25. http://www.tosa2013.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Dossier-de-presse-TOSA-bus-electrique-19-avril1.pdf DOSSIER DE PRESSE AVRIL 2013, TOSA
26. Web site: 18 December 2013 . London's first pure electric 'emission free' buses hit the streets . 2022-10-26 . Transport for London . en-GB.
27. Web site: Seite nicht gefunden . Regionalverkehr Ruhr-Lippe . GmbH . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160314054536/http://rlg-online.de/artikel.php?artikel=868&page= . 2016-03-14 .
28. newstixs, 30. Juni 2013: Elektromobilität für Bonn: Positive Testergebnisse mit chinesischem Elektrobus, aufgerufen 16. Juli 2013
29. Braunschweiger Verkehrs AG: Elektrobusse mit induktiver Ladetechnik – der Schritt in ein neues Zeitalter, aufgerufen 8. Oktober 2013
30. YouTube: EmiL - Elektromobilität mittels induktiver Ladung, Videoanimation, aufgerufen 8. Oktober 2013
31. eurailpress.de, 11. September 2013: Bombardier: Primove-Station in Braunschweig in Betrieb, aufgerufen 8. Oktober 2013
32. https://web.archive.org/web/20141129033910/http://www.energie.fraunhofer.de/de/bildmaterial/pdf_pressemitteilungen/141030_pm_fraunhofer-ivi-praxiseinsatz-fuer-edda-bus-2013-fraunhofer-elektrobus-wird-auf-linie-61-getestet.pdf Fraunhofer-Elektrobus wird auf Linie 61 getestet
33. Web site: OmnibusRevue - Erste E-Buslinie Sachsens nimmt Betrieb auf. 2015-07-10. 2019-09-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20190903150447/https://www.omnibusrevue.de/erste-e-buslinie-sachsens-nimmt-betrieb-auf-1657550.html. dead.
34. Web site: SWM und MVG testen neuen Elektrobus. muenchen.de.
35. http://www.omnibusrevue.de/neuer-batteriebetriebener-e-bus-faehrt-in-pinneberg-1361059.html Neuer batteriebetriebener E-Bus fährt in Pinneberg
36. http://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/urbino-12-electric-die-bvg-praesentiert-ihre-neuen-elektrobusse/11997870.html Die BVG präsentiert ihre neuen Elektrobusse
37. http://www.emobilitaetonline.de/news/forschungsprojekte/1639-video-elektrische-buslinie-in-berlin-startet-in-die-testphase Video: Elektrische Buslinie in Berlin startet in die Testphase
38. http://www.shz.de/lokales/landeszeitung/umweltfreundlich-leise-aber-noch-nicht-ausgereift-id10162241.html Umweltfreundlich, leise, aber noch nicht ausgereift
39. http://www.general-anzeiger-bonn.de/bonn/bonn/stadtwerke-kaufen-sechs-elektrobusse-article1673657.html Stadtwerke kaufen sechs Elektrobusse
40. http://www.emobilitaetonline.de/news/politik/1587-elektromobilitaet-in-rumaenien-gemeinde-plant-100-elektrischen-oepnv Elektromobilität in Rumänien: Gemeinde plant 100% elektrischen ÖPNV
41. Web site: 31 March 2023 . Bus fleet audit—31 March 2023 . 15 June 2023 . Transport for London.
42. Web site: World's First Zero Emission Electric Double Decker Metroline News . 2021-08-07 . Metroline . 2018-07-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180725154806/https://www.metroline.co.uk/blog/progress/world%E2%80%99s-first-zero-emission-electric-double-decker . dead .
43. Web site: 16 June 2024 . ГУП «Мосгортранс»: 1700 электробусов в Москве . 1,700 electric buses in Moscow . 2024-06-17 . mosgortrans.ru.
44. Web site: 31 March 2023 . Bus fleet audit—31 March 2023 . 15 June 2023 . Transport for London.
45. EarthTechling, 4. November 2013: Electric School Bus Idea Set To Debut In California, aufgerufen 16. November 2013
46. News: Elektromobilität: Die Bergziege summt jetzt. Peter. Münder. 28 October 2014. Die Zeit.
47. Web site: Aktuell – SAT.1 REGIONAL. 2015-07-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924094404/http://www.sat1regional.de/aktuell/article/elektrobus-in-hamburg-faehrt-jetzt-erstmals-die-e-bergziege-158214.html. 2015-09-24. dead.
48. it-times.de, 12. Februar 2016: BYD: Großauftrag für Elektrobusse aus Kalifornien, aufgerufen 8. März 2016
49. oekonews.at, 17. Februar 2016: Kalifornien: Die erste 100% elektrische Busflotte rollt demnächst, aufgerufen 8. März 2016
50. Capital Metro Board Approves Nation's Largest Electric Vehicle Procurement . September 27, 2021 . CapMetro . 8 June 2022.