Testing Finds Proterra Electric Transit Bus Achieves More Than 20 mpg Diesel Equivalent

5 May 2009

Proterra battery-electric bus. An all-electric version of the 35-foot Proterra FCBE 35 transit bus, powered by a UQM PowerPhase 150 electric propulsion system and an Altairnano Li-ion battery pack (earlier post), achieved more than 20 miles per gallon diesel equivalent in fuel economy equivalency testing conducted by the Pennsylvania Transportation Institute at Pennsylvania State University.

Testing of the composite body all-electric version of the FCBE 35 transit bus was conducted using a modified Transit Coach Operating Duty Cycle (ADB) that includes simulated central business district, arterial and commuter operations.

Calculated diesel equivalent fuel economy for each phase was: 21.35 mpg on the central business district phase, 17.55 mpg on the arterial phase and 29.23 mpg on the commuter phase. Each test phase simulated transit-type service at seated load weight and included various passenger pickup stops.

Simulated test phases ranged from 7 stops per mile and a top speed of 20 mph during the central business district phase to 1 stop and a top speed of 40 mph during the commuter phase. The FCBE 35 transit bus was tested at a gross vehicle weight of 36,680 based on a seating capacity of 38 passengers, including the driver and 34 standing passengers.

Fuel economy testing was conducted with the air conditioning system turned off. Air conditioned operations are expected to reduce fuel economy results by approximately 30%. The bus was recharged in less than 20 minutes using the Proterra’s TerraVolt fast charge energy storage system at the end of each completed ADB, replenishing the energy consumed and thereby extending the total daily vehicle range.

The UQM electric propulsion system produces peak torque of 650 N·m and peak power of 150 kW (201 hp). The system has a continuous torque rating of 400 N·m and a continuous power rating of 100 kW (134 hp). The system also features optimized four-quadrant performance, dynamic torque, speed and voltage control, regenerative braking and system energy efficiency of more than 90% across substantially all of its performance regimen.

The test validated that Proterra’s 35-foot transit bus achieves up to 400 percent better performance than today’s conventional diesel or competitor’s hybrid transit buses. These fuel economy improvements together with the ability to extend total daily vehicle range through our TerraVolt rapid charge capability offers a tremendous advantage to transit operators who are looking to reduce both emissions and vehicle operating costs.And charge the Proterra EV Bus with PV roof-top.The Proterra EV Bus could transform Chiang Mai's cronic air pollution problem, solve traffic congestion, improve the quality of life, and enhance the tourism business. This is the least cost option compare tearing up the streets and making Chiang Mai really ugly.A little bit about Roof-top PV in the USA.Rooftop and Land Availability for PV

PV can be deployed on rooftops or in ground-based distributed and utility-scale applica-tions. Rooftop deployment has the advantage of incurring zero land use costs, although opportunity costs are not necessarily zero when competing with other solar technologies (water heating, daylighting) or other uses such as green roofs. A significant advantage of rooftop deployment is the minimal transmission and distribution (T&D) requirements (and losses), because most of the energy is used at the point of generation.

The rooftop area, and therefore potential space for PV in the United States, is very large. Two previous estimates of the total available roof space for PV in the United States are 6 and 10 bil- lion square meters, even after eliminating 35% to 80% of the total roof space due to shading and inappropriate orientation [6,7]. The lower value also does not include certain industrial and agricultural buildings. While fairly rough estimates, these values provide some idea of the poten- tial resource base.

Assuming a typical PV system performance of 100 watts per square meter (W/m2) (equivalent to an average insolation of 1000 W/m2and a 10% AC system efficiency), this rooftop area represents a potential installed capacity of 600 to 1000 GW. At an average capacity factor of 17%, this installed capacity could provide 900-1500 terawatt-hours (TWh) annually. This represents about 25% to 40% of the total U.S. electricity consumption in 2004.

If building area grows at the same rate as electricity consumption, this PV potential (in terms of fractional energy supply) will remain constant. However, because the efficiency of PV modules is expected to substantially increase over time, the PV potential on rooftops could also increase. In addition, this rooftop potential does not consider parking structures or awnings or south-facing building facades.

Beyond rooftops, there are, of course, many opportunities for PV on low (or zero) opportunity cost land such as airports (which have the added advantage of being secure environments), and farmland set-asides. Land-based solar PV may be deployed in “tracking” arrays, which could increase the annual output by 25% or more, and decrease the amount of land required.

This preliminary assessment indicates that non-zero-cost land set aside specifically for solar PV generation will not need to occur until this technology provides a very large fraction (perhaps more than 25%) of the nation’s electricity.

In the scenario we evaluated here, in which 200 GW of solar PV provides about 7% of the nation’s electricity, PV is unlikely to be burdened by constraints of intermittency, transmis- sion requirements, land use, or materials supplies.

Available roof space (and zero- to low- cost land) and known materials can provide resources far beyond this level of PV use. In the long term, at some point beyond this level of penetration, intermittency poses a more ignificant challenge, likely requiring large-scale deployment of a viable storage technolo-gy. However, as part of a diverse mix of renewable energy technologies, solar PV by itself can play a valuable role in reducing carbon emissions from the electric power sector.

Industry – By the Numbers $1,045 billion in revenue from renewable energy & energy efficiency industries in U.S. (ASES 2007)

$160 billion in tax revenue generated in U.S. (federal, state, local) by renewable energy & energy efficiency industries (ASES 2007)

9 million jobs from renewable energy & energy efficiency industries in U.S. (ASES 2007)

259 megawatt photovoltaic market in U.S. in 2007; estimated to grow to 1,590 megawatts by 2010; was only 17 megawatts in 2000 (Prometheus Institute for Sustainable Development)

60% of the world’s energy to be from renewable sources by 2060 (Shell International)Download Link: Tackling Climate Change in the U.S.: Potential Carbon Emissions Reduction from Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, PDF http://ases.org/images/stories/file/ASES/climate_change.pdfAmerica Solar Energy Society

Wish everyone a nice weekend with some sunshine        

Good show, Bruce!!

Do you know http://www.glow.co.th?? They work in the same field as you

I think the bus is a great concept but I cant help feeling "So what"

Concept vehicles have been around for some time now, nothing has changed.

It has been more of a PR type "Look at us" (see how clever we are) type exercise

I belive in the next year or so the Euro will start trotting out examples

and as needs become desperate Car makers worls wide will finally get serious.

GAV, this EV Bus company is serious.

June 2, 2009 -- Proterra, the pioneering innovator and manufacturer of clean commercial transit solutions from city transit buses to class 4-8 trucks, today announced a historic demonstration of its fast-charge battery-powered electric buses by Los Angeles County's Foothill Transit. Three battery-electric Proterra buses will begin service in 2010 for commuters in Foothill Transit's territory for the first-of-its kind Fast-Charge Battery-Electric Bus pilot project.

Meeting the California Air Resources Board's required zero emissions standards for 2012, the buses provide economical and environmental benefits to Foothill Transit, including up to a 400 percent improvement in fuel economy, and over $300,000 savings in total lifetime fuel expenses per bus, compared to traditional diesel buses.

http://proterraonline.com/

The city of Burbank was selected as a national test market for a new zero-emissions, ultra-quiet prototype 67-passenger, transit bus that features a hydrogen fuel cell. The city plans to have the new Proterra HFC35 Hybrid-Electric Transit Bus in demonstration service on Burbank?s various routes in the spring of 2009.

The HFC35 was developed and assembled by Golden, Colo.,-based Proterra LLC. The company, formerly known as Mobile Energy Solutions, is best known for the 36 EcoMark I, 45-foot, CNG-fueled, hybrid-electric shuttle buses it built for use on Denver?s 16th Street Mall. This fleet has now logged more than 3 million miles and carried more than 150 million passengers.

"The significance of this milestone program is that we are able to harness the latest transportation technology and put it into service for the public good," notes Johnathan Frank, administrative analyst with the Transportation Department of the city of Burbank. "Zero emissions will help the environment, which is a critical issue in Southern California.?

Titled a battery-dominant hybrid-electric system, this HFC35 can operate solely as a full battery-electric transit bus traveling up to 250 miles before the battery pack has to be recharged. Charging can be done either by the fuel cell system, by regenerative braking or off the electrical grid. Incidentally, regenerative braking recoups energy during deceleration and braking with an impressive 90-percent efficiency.

I was wondering the other day about these electric cars, that have to be charged at power points. Are they any greener than ordinary cars?

Parts for the electrical system still have to be made, so there is a carbon footprint. The electricity to charge them still has to be generated somewhere, more than likely fossil fuels burning power stations. How many batteries will one use in its lifetime? Can they be recycled?

I can see that they remove the pollution from city centres, but the fuel is still being burnt somewhere. In a power station rather than a car or bus engine.

Are they any more efficient than a hydrocarbon burner?

Solar panels I can understand. I imagine you get far more energy out of one over its lifetime, than that used to manufacture it. Every house, where possible, should have them installed on the roof.

Bruce, This company may be very serious, but the industry as a whole is not. For electric cars/buses/trucks to work there needs to be a break through in storage capabilities and so far I dont see that happening. Where a 250 mile range may be OK for busses, for cars and trucks, it just dos'nt cut it. I would never buy a car that required me to stop every 250 miles or 400 kilometers for 20 minutes + to re fuel.

For this technology to be successful a vehicle would reqire a range of at least 450 miles or 720 kilometers before re charging. Re charge time would need to be 15 minutes or less other wise the general public wont accept it. Anything else would be a backward step as far as the average punter is concerned.

Once car makers solve these problems, make the new vehicles price competitive with current cars, with long lasting batteries that are cost effective to replace they will have a winner. Until then it will be viewed as fill in technology by the general public.

Funky_house --> About 10% of Electrical power comes from renewable energy in the USA. The rest is generated natural gas, coal, and nuclear. The internal combustion engine (gas/diesel) is 25 to 35 percent efficient, EV Car 90% efficient. Most of the EV cars will charge the battery at night when grid power consumption is low. The EV car will generate less CO2 even when charging the battery from coal plant electricity. Lithium-ion batteries are designed for 5,000 to 10,000 cycles, should last 10 years. I believe Lithium-ion battery are recyclable.

GAV--> Jump-Starting The Electric Car Dream

(CBS)  David Pogue of The New York Times hitches a ride with a man who thinks he has the answer to climate change, dependence on foreign oil, and creating jobs, all with the flick of a switch:

Silicon Valley millionaire Shai Agassi has a huge, huge idea.

"When you find a great purpose in life, you gotta pursue it," he said.

He calls his idea Better Place. And investors love it - they've already poured $300 million into it.

One believer is Alan Salzman, CEO of Vantage Point Venture Partners: "I think it's one of those seminal companies that is going to change the way the world functions."

Governments are getting behind it too.

GAVIN:disk2 We believe this is the future.

And what is the big idea? Solve the climate crisis, create jobs, and eliminate our dependence on foreign oil ? in three easy steps.

Step 1: Persuade the world's car companies to make electric cars with swappable batteries.

"You'll plug in a cable and that's it," Agassi said.

Step 2: Persuade governments to install millions of recharging outlets.

"They will be at home, they'll be at work, they'll be at downtown and retail centers," Agassi said. "And by the time you came back to your car, it's topped off."

Step 3: When people want to go on longer drives, when there's no time to recharge the battery, build battery-swapping stations all over the world.

Agassi described lanes like in gas stations at these "switch" stations. "You go into the switch station. Your depleted battery comes out, a full battery comes in. And you keep driving. It takes you about two, three minutes."

See? Easy! All Shai Agassi has to do is oversee the largest global infrastructure project in history, replace 2 billion gas cars with electric ones, and then convince you to buy them.

Has anyone told him, "By the way, this is crazy?"

"Oh, about nine out of ten people say it's crazy!" he laughed. "But the other ones are actually saying, 'Where can I put my money?'"

That would include Alan Salzman of Vantage Point.

"We have this very simple investment thesis, and it's served us well for the last 25 years," he said. "And that is, 'Bet on the inevitable.' I'll grant it's of large scale. But none of this requires what we think of as new laws of physics. This is all doable."

In fact, Nissan and Renault have agreed to manufacture the first battery-swappable cars. Prototypes are already on the road.

Now, to pull this off, Better Place is going to need more than money, and more than technology. It's also going to need the people in the halls of political power to sign on.

And that's the amazing part: Country by country, Agassi is convincing governments to install all those power outlets for his electric cars.

"So Israel was first," Agassi said. "Denmark signed up next. Australia signed up after. The Premier of Ontario announced we're going to go to Ontario. Governor Lingle of Hawaii was really the driving force behind getting us to Hawaii.

"We are talking about 25 countries around the world, and various different governors and mayors in the U.S."

That includes San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. He told Pogue that he and the mayors of Oakland and San Jose want to create 250,000 stations (or points of contact) for electric charging."

For a company only a year-and-a-half old, Better Place has made amazing progress.

But it's all for nothing, unless people actually buy those cars.

How much would one cost?

"If you take the battery component out of our car, which is what we do - we don't let you buy the battery, we buy the battery - an SUV will cost roughly the same as an equivalent gas SUV, roughly in the $20,000 range. A sedan will cost roughly the same range."

But here's the twist: The car gets cheaper the more you agree to drive.

"We're just like a cell phone company," Agassi said. "We sell miles. We pay for your financing of the car, depending on how many miles you commit. Sort of like how many minutes you commit [on your phone]. You can go all the way down (and in the case of people who drive a lot, like taxis) to zero."

"Free car? If you sign up for the maximum minutes plan?" asked Pogue.

"This is Oprah for everybody, right?" he laughed. "You all got a free car!"

Now, not everybody is sold on Agassi's plan. There will be challenges ahead, as Mayor Newsom is well aware.

"So, we're talking about 250,000 charging stations," Newsom said. "Nine Bay Area counties that can't get along on any other issue, and they're gonna create a standardized outlet system and a ubiquitous service? Very difficult. So, that's a legitimate critique. Though, we say, 'Prove us wrong.' Don't assume us wrong. We believe in this."

According to Better Place, wide-scale testing begins next year. By 2011, cars and charging spots will be operational in Israel, Denmark and Hawaii.

"For a transformation of this magnitude, it's immensely fast," Agassi said.

He thinks he knows how to make the world a better place ? and it's crazy enough that it might work.

"That's the stimulus project we've been looking for," he said. "It's the infrastructure project of our generation."