We understand how important it is to take care of our environment even in the bus industry. Here’s an interesting fact about buses! Buses emissions are about 4 pounds while a car's emissions are about 78 pounds of CO2. This is a surprisingly substantial reduction. In this article, we will be focusing on the movement towards switching over to electric bus vechicles.
Alternative to Fossil Fuels
Currently in China, electric buses take up about 70% of their total new bus sales and globally more than 90% of electric bus vehicles actually come from China. Due to strict emission standards, California is also changing towards electric buses as they are the leading state in the United States in having the most buses in electric and fuel cell buses. Looking at both China and California, the increase in demand of alternative fuel buses are the result of governmental incentives and restrictions. Another way to look at this change is to see the positive side of going electrical. In terms of buses, electric buses are about 8 times more efficient in energy than buses that run on natural gas. Furthermore, another benefit is that there is less maintenance required as there are less moving parts and usually require less repair over time.
Slow progression towards electric bus vehicles
While it is still uncommon, we can see the movement in changing to electric bus vehicles happening little by little. However, this will take some time. First, the infrastructure has to adapt and change in order to accommodate the charging stations that are needed in the future for buses.
When dealing with charging stations, an electric charge takes more time than filling up a bus with diesel fuel. Moving forward, the down time that comes with charging the buses have to be factored into the schedules, as well as the service employees to make sure that the buses are sufficiently charged enough for their next schedule.
Electric Bus Purchases
Companies have been switching over towards electric buses if their current vehicles have reached their shelf life or if they are sold to other operations. A majority of electric bus manufacturers are targeting industries such as school districts that are focusing on trying to go as green as possible. This is a very good way for companies and schools to show that they are actively helping the environment in various aspects as possible instead of just talking about it.