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MTA Tests Electric Buses for Use on NY Streets

Around the Horn

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Around the Horn

Around the Horn

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green_bus_pilot.jpg?itok=cA-MNaLB

 

The future of New York City Transit buses is electrifying. Or to be exact, electric.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board has approved leasing five electric buses, the first half of 10 to be leased this year, for a pilot program testing how these environmentally friendly vehicles will perform on the all-weather streets of New York City.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the pilot as part of Earth Week 2017, which celebrates the state’s commitment and accomplishments to protect the environment. With the launch of these electric buses, “we are taking one more step toward reducing New York’s greenhouse gas emissions, fight climate change and help secure a cleaner greener future for all," he said. 

The first five buses in the test are coming from Proterra, which will also lease six depot charging stations to be installed at the Grand Avenue Bus Depot in Queens. The electric buses will serve the B39 and B32 routes in Brooklyn.

The final five buses in the pilot, which will run for three years, will come from New Flyer pending MTA board approval and review and approval by the Office of the New York State Comptroller later this year. That contract would also include charging stations. The New Flyer buses would operate on the M42 bus route in Manhattan. Renderings of the buses from both vendors are available here. 

Once complete, the data from the pilot program will be evaluated to see if all-electric buses are suitable for the rigors of daily use in New York’s urban environment and climate, and to determine the range of the buses without the need for a recharge and specifications for future procurements. In preparation for the study, the MTA conducted a review of global best practices for electric buses that included reviewing systems in Europe, Asia, and South America; involvement in industry groups such as the Electric Power Research Institute, the Society of Automotive Engineers and the American Public Transportation Association; visits and consultations with transportation authorities in London, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Montreal; and testing and inspections of buses from a variety of suppliers. The pilot program does not limit other potential vendors or builders from future procurements.

"As part of our mandate to modernize all of the MTA’s operations, we’re constantly looking at new ways to lower our carbon footprint, and minimize impact on our environment. The leasing of the first five electric buses is an important step forward in that overall mission, and builds on the MTA’s already considerable contribution toward making New York the state with the lowest per capita greenhouse gas emissions in the United States," said Ronnie Hakim, Interim Executive Director of the MTA. 

New York state has the lowest per capita energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the nation thanks, in part, to the MTA public transportation network, which serves two-thirds of the state’s residents. MTA’s transit operations actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 17 million metric tons annually, offsetting its production of 2.1 million metric tons of emissions a year during operation of subways, buses and commuter railroads. The MTA is the first transit agency to quantify such emissions on a regional basis, and does so as part of its ongoing mission to measure all of the benefits of public transportation.

http://www.mta.info/news-nyct-bus/2017/04/26/mta-tests-electric-buses-use-ny-streets

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LTA1992

LTA1992

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Interesting, thanks. I wonder why that bus hasn't been mass-ordered for the MTA, but I guess they're keeping their options open.

The order has to be competitive and there is no competition if BYD is the only proposer.

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Nas

Nas

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Interesting, thanks. I wonder why that bus hasn't been mass-ordered for the MTA, but I guess they're keeping their options open.

 

From a financial viewpoint... what you gonna do with the buses you currently have?   I'm guessing, if the tests are successful, the rollout will be gradual anyway as you have buses that are working fine and you still have to shoulder the cost of the new buses too... This is great news though. 

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RailRunRob

RailRunRob

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Are there any guidelines for assignments of Electric buses in other cities? Shorter Routes? Terrain variables? Charging stations along routes? Anybody know the average ranges of some of these types of buses? 250 miles per charge ect? Just curious. This would also have an effect on ordering patterns I'd think right? Some of the buses I've seen have high capacity chargers kind of like a rail photographs space would also be a premium in that case. Don't know if you can charge a full bus via 240V? But Hey maybe they have high voltage modules that connect or drop down to each space. shrugs what's the logistics of it all storage and maintenance wise?

 

 

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bobtehpanda

bobtehpanda

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Are there any guidelines for assignments of Electric buses in other cities? Shorter Routes? Terrain variables? Charging stations along routes? Anybody know the average ranges of some of these types of buses? 250 miles per charge ect? Just curious. This would also have an effect on ordering patterns I'd think right? Some of the buses I've seen have high capacity chargers kind of like a rail photographs space would also be a premium in that case. Don't know if you can charge a full bus via 240V? But Hey maybe they have high voltage modules that connect or drop down to each space. shrugs what's the logistics of it all storage and maintenance wise?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using NYC Transit Forums mobile app

 

As far as I know, they're putting them through the runs in other places like all the other normal ones. They'd wouldn't be a serious contender if they needed special infrastructure on the routes themselves.

 

Buses are actually pretty great for electric traction, since electric traction has much greater advantages with acceleration and deceleration. Bonus points if your bus routes tend to run on giant hills (hence, why Seattle is actively electrifying routes with trolleybus wire).

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RailRunRob

RailRunRob

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As far as I know, they're putting them through the runs in other places like all the other normal ones. They'd wouldn't be a serious contender if they needed special infrastructure on the routes themselves.

 

Buses are actually pretty great for electric traction, since electric traction has much greater advantages with acceleration and deceleration. Bonus points if your bus routes tend to run on giant hills (hence, why Seattle is actively electrifying routes with trolleybus wire).

Yeah that makes sense plus regenerator breaking ect. Just asking the saw there were chargers along the routes in some other cities just curious.

 

 

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Cait Sith

Cait Sith

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As far as I know, they're putting them through the runs in other places like all the other normal ones. They'd wouldn't be a serious contender if they needed special infrastructure on the routes themselves.

 

Buses are actually pretty great for electric traction, since electric traction has much greater advantages with acceleration and deceleration. Bonus points if your bus routes tend to run on giant hills (hence, why Seattle is actively electrifying routes with trolleybus wire).

 

Seattle is also electrifying some of their regular, more suburban-ish routes with electric buses. Proterra got another award for 20 or so buses I believe, to fully electrify routes 226 and 241.

 

Seattle is currently Proterra's biggest customer, with the possibility of getting up to 200 buses.

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bobtehpanda

bobtehpanda

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Seattle is also electrifying some of their regular, more suburban-ish routes with electric buses. Proterra got another award for 20 or so buses I believe, to fully electrify routes 226 and 241.

 

Seattle is currently Proterra's biggest customer, with the possibility of getting up to 200 buses.

 

Seattle has the benefit of being very, very red, to the point where a City Council member seriously suggested seizing Boeing to manufacture streetcars. It also helps that they have very cheap hydro.

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