Bus companies around
the world are moving towards buying zero emission buses. I have found several
news reports which I've compiled in to this one article.
First of all I would
like to mention that Reading Buses have placed the world’s first order for double deck gas-powered buses.
From Route-One
Reading
places world’s first order for gas-powered ‘deckers
Reading
Buses has signed an order for the first-ever Scania CNG gas-powered double-deck
buses anywhere in the world.
The
new N280UD model builds upon the success of the single-deck variant, which
Reading was the first company to adopt in 2013.
The
five new buses will be bodied by Alexander Dennis with its Enviro400 MMC body.
They
will be delivered in October and will enter service on Reading’s Royal Blue
route 33 to Tilehurst and Turnhams Farm, operating alongside two diesel
versions that are being moved across from the Claret Route following recent
timetable changes.
The
new buses will feature the latest Reading Buses interior, including comfortable
high-back seating trimmed in new materials inspired by cutting-edge automotive
trends.
They
include at-seat USB charging sockets for mobile phones and tablets, free
superfast 4G Wi-Fi and next stop audio and visual customer information systems.
The CEO of Reading
Buses has also tweeted the news on Twitter.
Pleased to confirm our order for the very first @ScaniaUK N280UD gas double deck fleet - 5x in Oct for royal blue 33 pic.twitter.com/YYaKJS2IUP— Martijn Gilbert (@MartRDG) April 20, 2016
It's worth noting here
that Reading Buses are a municipal bus company that's owned by Reading Borough
Council. There are however a small number of bus services which are still owned by local councils in Britain.
From Scoop NZ
Infratil
and NZ Bus lead the way for electric vehicles
Infratil
today announced a US$30m deal with
Wrightspeed Inc. to supply its first-in-kind, award-winning electric powertrain
technology – the Route™ 500, which it intends to deploy on its public transport
business through NZ Bus.
California-based
Wrightspeed, founded by New Zealand-born Ian Wright who was a co-founder of
Tesla, manufactures range-extended electric vehicle powertrains, which are
already in use successfully in the U.S.A. in waste management and delivery
vehicles. This deal with Infratil and NZ Bus marks Wrightspeed’s entry into
passenger transport.
Kevin
Baker, Infratil executive and NZ Bus Chairman, said Infratil and NZ Bus were
delighted to team up with Wrightspeed to bring innovation through electric
powertrain technology to New Zealand. An electric public transport fleet would
combine well with Infratil’s investments in renewable energy and enable New
Zealand to transition to a clean energy public transport system and play a
significant role in decarbonisation and reducing noise pollution in New Zealand
cities.
Zane
Fulljames, CEO of NZ Bus, said with nearly 82% of New Zealand’s electricity
from renewable energy sources, transition to electric-powered public transport
alongside private vehicles will deliver a step change in reducing the country’s
carbon footprint. As owners and operators of fleet, bus companies have a key
role to play.
NZ
Bus will receive its first Wrightspeed powertrains by mid-2016, and begin the
process of fitting and testing immediately, with a view to having a first
electric-powered bus on the road by the last quarter of this year.
“As
a major transport operator, we have the scale for investment of the kind this
deal with Wrightspeed represents. We are committed to continuing to lead the industry
and contribute to reducing New Zealand’s carbon footprint through innovation,”
said Mr Fulljames.
Now let's look at the
United States to see their ever increasing fleet of battery electric buses.
From Mass Transit
LA
Metro Receives FTA Grants for Zero-Emission Electric Buses
The
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has received $8 million in grants from the Federal Transportation Administration
that will be used to deploy zero-emission electric buses on the Orange Line and
replace the ferry terminal on Catalina Island.
“Metro
is appreciative of our strong partnership with the Federal Transportation
Administration” said Metro Board Chair Mark Ridley-Thomas. “These two grants
will allow us to move forward in building out our transit infrastructure in all
corners of the County, in a clean, green and efficient manner.”
Metro,
through the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) will receive $4.275 million to be used toward the
purchase of five electric buses and
eight charging stations for the Orange Line bus rapid transit corridor.
“I
am pleased to have helped Metro’s Orange Line secure federal funding for new
buses and charging stations,” said Congressman Brad Sherman. “The Orange Line
is one of the busiest bus lines in the nation. Commuters in the San Fernando
Valley will benefit greatly from an addition to the fleet that can help alleviate
crowded buses and waiting times. And with the zero-emission technology, these
new buses will help reduce smog and other harmful greenhouse gases.”
In
addition to the grant for electric buses, Metro and the city of Avalon received
a $4-million grant to replace the existing 5,000-square-feet ferry terminal,
built in 1968, with a new two-story 10,000-square-feet state-of-the-art
terminal in the city of Avalon on Catalina Island. More than 1.2 million people
annually use the ferry terminal.
UTA
wins federal grant to buy its first-ever electric buses
The
Federal Transit Administration this week awarded a $5.4 million grant to the Utah Transit Authority to buy its
first-ever all-electric buses.
UTA
said on Thursday that it plans to buy five buses with the money. Three will be
put into service on Route 2, which runs through downtown Salt Lake City on 200
South to the University of Utah.
The
other two will run on a new University of Utah shuttle route through the center
of campus. The University of Utah partnered with UTA in the grant application.
"Providing
environmentally friendly public transportation is one of UTA's long-term
goals," said Matt Sibul, UTA chief planning officer. "We are happy to
put these electric buses into service right through the center of Salt Lake
City, where the air pollution sometimes gets trapped and so many people work,
live and play."
Alma
Allred, executive director of commuter services at the university, said,
"It is a direct health benefit to provide electric bus service through the
heart of the campus without pumping emissions into the air."
While
the new electric buses will be the first
zero-emissions vehicles purchased by UTA, it has a fleet of low-emission buses
that include 32 hybrid electric and 47 compressed natural gas buses.
UTA
said in a press release that each electric bus will save about 6,000 gallons of diesel fuel annually,
and the emissions they would generate.
UTA
said delivery of the buses, which must now be ordered and built, could come as
early as 2018.
The
grant was part of $22.8 million awarded
by FTA this week to help no-emission and low-emission transit projects
nationwide.
From Philly Voice
SEPTA
to deploy 25 electric buses in South Philly
Buses
will soon be less noisy and harmful to the environment in South Philadelphia.
The
Federal Transit Administration announced on Tuesday that SEPTA will receive a $2.6 million grant, which will be used to
buy 25 zero-emission, all-electric buses.
“This
Administration is committed to investing in an economy powered by clean
transportation,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.
The
vehicles will be used on bus routes in South Philly and a workforce development
program will further contribute to the project's economic impact, according to
the FTA.
“Thanks
to these grants, more transit riders around the country will be able to enjoy
the latest in bus technology, resulting in cleaner air and lower costs in the
long run,” said FTA Acting Administrator Carolyn Flowers.
The
Low and No-Emission Vehicle Deployment Program will hand out a total of $22.5 million to seven mass-transit
providers in the nation.
From Market Wired
Federal
Transit Administration Provides Funding for 51 Zero Emission Buses and Charging
Equipment
The
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) today announced that it will provide
funding for seven different transit properties to purchase 51 zero emission
buses. The FTA also announced that an additional solicitation is now on the
street that would provide a total of $55
million for the purchase of additional low and no emission buses.
In
the FTA press release U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said,
"This Administration is committed to investing in an economy powered by
clean transportation. The Department of Transportation is proud to build on the
successful Low-No program to put more American-made, energy efficient buses
into service across America."
In
total the FTA provided $22.5 million in
funding to help the seven transit properties purchase the 51 buses as well as electric vehicle charging equipment. The
funding provides for the deployment of zero emission buses that are powered by batteries as well as hydrogen fuel cells.
"The
FTA is providing catalytic investment that will help spur the growth of the
zero emission bus market. It's very possible that as a direct result of this
FTA program by 2020 ten percent of all new transit buses sold will be emission
free," said CALSTART President and CEO John Boesel.
CALSTART,
a national non-profit clean transportation organization, partnered with the
Utah Transit Authority and the Stark Area Regional Transit Authority in Ohio on
their successful applications. CALSTART will be assisting in the management of
the projects and helping to analyze and evaluate the performance of the zero
emission buses.
In
addition to announcing the winner of the 2015 competition, the FTA indicated
that under the transportation bill, known as the FAST Act, it will provide $55 million a year in funding for Low and
No Emission buses. CALSTART is now working with teams to submit
applications for the 2016 funding. Proposals are due in May.
This is all of the
news stories I could find this week.
It's interesting how zero emission bus fleets are increasing
around the world, and with regards to London, I’m looking forward seeing the
Red Arrow routes 507 and 521 being fully converted to zero-emission, battery-electric
buses, which are being purchased by the Go Ahead Group for £19 million.
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