Why Wichita says new electric buses are better than their diesel predecessors
Wichita transit added seven new electric buses this month in the next step of its plan to eventually electrify the entire fleet. With 11 buses, Wichita currently has the largest electric transit offering in Kansas.
The buses, which cost more than their diesel counterparts, were paid for by two federal grants. Still, each bus is expected to save the city $462,000 over its lifetime — at least 12 years — as electric buses cost about 50% less to run than the diesel buses, according to Mike Tann, city transit director.
The grants were to help pay for the electrification of regular route buses and replace the diesel trolleys on the Q-Line, which offered free downtown transportation before the services were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Electric buses are growing in popularity among transits nationwide. In 2019 650 electric buses were being used, up from 300 in 2018, according to BloombergNEF, a clean energy research group.
Nearly 30% of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. come from transportation, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency. Greenhouse gas emissions cause climate change and heavy-duty vehicles, such as buses, account for 25% of vehicle emissions, according to a study by a non-profit scientist group called Union of Concerned Scientists.
Reduced costs of electric buses
Tann was already looking at replacing the aging bus fleet in Wichita when there was an opportunity to apply for a federal grant to purchase electric buses. He saved about $250,000 per bus by buying remanufactured electric buses, which meant he could buy more buses than initially planned.
“From the ground up, it’s a new bus, other than just the frame, but everything is converted over to electric power,” Tann said.
The costs to run and maintain electric buses are about 50% less than their diesel predecessors, according to Tann. There is no fuel; therefore, no accounting for diesel’s fluctuating costs, no fluids or parts to change or maintain, and the buses charge at night, when is the cheapest time for them to use the electricity.
Won’t run out of juice on routes
All Wichita transit drivers are trained to drive the bus as efficiently as possible, and the bus creates reports of its daily efficiency for the transit team.
“So a driver .. .can actually recoup about 20% of the power or energy that a bus would use in a given day, by just operating it in an efficient manner,” Tann said. “The drivers work very hard to make sure that they’re able to do that because you can’t do that with a diesel bus. When you’re on a diesel bus, it’s burning the fuel that you’re using.”
The buses will also keep a reserve power of 20% at all times, so they will not run out of juice while on a route. If something were to happen, the bus would alert the operator that levels were dropping and would have enough energy to return to transit headquarters.
The temperature and “flatness” of Wichita also reduce drainage of the bus’ range, according to Tann.
“Even though we may think that our temperatures have a wide variance, when it comes to buses (and) they’re operating in the negatives, like -10 degrees, they lose about 5 to 10% efficiency,” Tann said. “When it’s hot, batteries lose a lot, but we’re not like Phoenix hot. We may have a few weeks of 90 degrees, but because we’re very fortunate and we don’t put a lot of extremes in our routes ... these buses can all go out and run the same amount of time that all of our diesel buses do.”
Safer and quieter ride
The electric buses are shorter in length, making it easier for drivers to manage, and feature outside announcements that the bus will be turning right or left.
“Whenever a bus hits a pedestrian, they’re usually in the crosswalk, but the bus is turning,” Tann said. “This is a way to reduce that.”
One of the most significant benefits of electric buses is that they don’t have any emissions, according to Tann. Alongside that comes a quieter experience for those inside and outside the bus.
“Aesthetically, people love the (Q-line) trolleys,” Tann said. “They look cool, but it really was a diesel truck with the engine upfront. They weren’t really designed for comfort or quiet. You couldn’t carry on a conversation in a trolly to save your life. These buses are like sitting in your living room. You can carry on a conversation.”
The buses’ inside is made with brushed stainless steel and plastic, making them easy to disinfect, a high priority during the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, it’ll still be a while before the entire Wichita bus fleet is electric, as each bus must be used for at least 12 years before being replaced. The newest diesel buses were bought in 2017.
This story was originally published October 25, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
