Global efforts to combat climate change have prompted governments to adopt various strategies, including the electrification of public transportation systems, with electric buses gaining traction as a key solution.
The Concordia researchers' methodology involved evaluating the implications of transitioning municipal bus fleets to electric vehicles, encompassing factors like infrastructure costs, operational expenses, maintenance outlays, carbon pricing, and societal costs tied to air pollution in several Canadian cities.
Electric school buses are lined up in front of the Lion Electric plant in Saint-Jérôme, Québec, on March 15, 2023. - As the world races to transition to emissions-free driving, Canada is making a big push into batteries for electric vehicles -- touting tax incentives, as well as bountiful cricital minerals and clean energy to attract multinationals.
Transitioning to Electric Bus Fleets
Their findings underscore that transitioning to electric bus fleets can yield significant emissions reductions and cost savings in maintenance and healthcare expenses linked to air quality.
Transportation contributes approximately 22 percent of Canada's total greenhouse gas emissions, prompting the need for innovative solutions to achieve carbon reduction objectives outlined in international agreements like the Paris Climate Accords.
"When combined with other efforts to decarbonize energy systems, our research shows that from 2019 to 2030, cumulative GHG emissions of bus fleets in Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton and Halifax were reduced by 18.7 percent, 30.1 percent, 21.3 percent and 34.6 percent respectively," said Xuelin Tian, lead author of the study and a PhD student in the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science at Concordia University.
The researchers gathered an extensive dataset covering a spectrum of variables to construct their analytical framework. They examined bus fleet attributes, encompassing age, fuel efficiency, propulsion systems, and operational parameters.
The researchers utilized the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning system (LEAP) model and conducted a comprehensive cost-benefit assessment.
It included variables like electricity generation costs, vehicle expenditures, carbon pricing, operational and maintenance expenses, and economic costs tied to air pollution and infrastructure.
The transition from conventional diesel-powered buses to electric vehicles involves substantial costs for transit agencies. The researchers suggest a gradual approach that includes the temporary integration of hybrid buses, mirroring successful models implemented in Toronto and Montreal.
According to the researchers, this measured strategy can deliver cost savings in the short term while advancing emissions reduction objectives.
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Reevaluation Transportation Operation Parameters
Additionally, the study emphasizes the importance of reevaluating transportation operation parameters, like daily mileage and post-transition, which can aid in cost reduction.
The focus on Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton, and Halifax stems from their robust public transit transition plans. However, the researchers note that achieving a fully electric fleet will extend beyond a decade, requiring a significant investment.
Tian highlights the financial and infrastructural challenges involved in adopting electric bus fleets, calling for collaboration among transit agencies, bus manufacturers, and power companies. The success of these efforts will depend on the shift toward renewable energy sources in power generation.
Tian and her team suggest that the framework they've developed can be applied to other cities with electrification plans, enabling them to conduct similar cost-benefit analyses tailored to their individual circumstances.
The team's findings were published in the journal Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment. Apart from the Concordia PhD students, Owen Waygood from Montreal's École Polytechnique also contributed to this paper.
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