 |
ELECTRIFICATION OF BUSES
|
|
|
| CLASSIFIEDS |
| »
The Toronto Transit Commission seeks a chief executive officer. [More]
|
»
The Texas Transit Association is looking for an executive director. [More]
|
| »
The Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation requests proposals for a transit ticketing mobile app and passenger faring technology. [More]
|
| View more Classified Ads » |
| TO PLACE AN AD: E-mail the requested date(s) of publication to: ptads@apta.com. Mailing address is: Passenger Transport, 1300 I Street NW, Suite 1200 East,
Washington, DC 20005. Ad copy is not accepted by phone. DEADLINE: 3 p.m. EST, Friday, one week prior to publication date. INFORMATION: Phone (202) 496-4877. |
AVTA: Path to Improved Electric Bus Operator Performance
When the Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) in Lancaster, CA, set a goal in 2016 of converting its diesel bus fleet to 100 percent all-electric vehicles by the end of 2018, the agency discovered that the project was like a puzzle, with each piece needing to be evaluated and innovative solutions sought to ensure a precise fit.
Achieving optimum ranges would be a key factor in developing a successful framework, but as industry trail blazers, AVTA had no idea of the degree to which operator performance would affect those ranges. As it turns out, the impact was tremendous.
With no road map to follow, the agency took a close look inward at its existing diesel fleet, comparing miles per gallon (MPG) from the diesel fleet to kilowatt-hours per mile (kWh) of electric buses. Findings revealed significant disparities between electric bus operators—as a result of varied driving techniques.
AVTA’s “aha moment,” as explained by Mark Perry, director of fleet and facilities, “was when two operators driving the same electric bus model on the same route, on the same day, near the same time, had a variance of approximately 2.5 kWh per mile, with one averaging 1.54 kWh per mile and the other at 4 kWh per mile. This constitutes a difference in range of approximately 130 miles from one operator to the next, with one averaging 80 miles of range and the other 210 miles.”
|
|
On Sept. 1, 2017, AVTA made history by becoming the world’s first public transit agency to operate a 60-foot all-electric articulated bus in revenue service.
|
Innovative Solutions
Working with IO Controls (a supplier of integrated control and monitoring solutions for the transit industry), AVTA developed a health alert monitoring system to collect and analyze a broader range of operator performance data, including kWh per mile, state of charge and regenerative braking—a key performance factor when operating an electric bus.
Analyzing the data not only gave AVTA a reason to seek solutions for improving operator performance, but also helped the agency make critical decisions in planning infrastructure, including development and implementation of WAVE Inc. 250 kW inductive chargers and calculating battery storage needs for optimal ranges.
“When we began, we built blueprints from scratch to figure out which questions we should be asking. Utilizing this type of data would not only enable us to understand how operators can improve, but also help us with budgeting, planning and maintenance,” said Perry.
|
|
| AVTA’s 80kW conductive charging interface units provide a full charge to the battery in four hours, giving the bus an average range of 155 miles. |
AVTA is working with industry partner Energy Solutions to develop operator-performance application-based software that will analyze all data collected to provide a performance-based scoring system. Through the new software, the agency will be able to identify and share information about top and lower-performing operators with its contracted labor provider, Transdev.
Industry Collaboration
AVTA plans to share its findings early next year with other public transit agencies looking to increase their knowledge of performance metrics, with the hopes of developing best practices and a methodology to follow.
“Having done so much of the legwork to develop a viable system for collecting, monitoring and analyzing performance data, we are excited to have a shareable platform through the new app and want other agencies throughout the state to benefit from all we have learned. Together, we can develop systems to shape the future of transportation,” said AVTA Chief Executive Officer Len Engel.
To learn more about AVTA’s electrification and operator training processes, contact Engel.
Related APTA Resources
The APTA Standards Development Program “Training Syllabus to Instruct Bus Technicians on Hybrid Drive Systems Operations” can be found here.
|
ADVERTISEMENT |
What will it take to make the cities of tomorrow both smarter and safer? Building safety into Intelligent Transportation Systems. Intelligent transportation Systems are transforming the way people and goods move through busy cities and traffic corridors. And they’re also paving the way to a safer future. Get the whitepaper to learn more. |
|
|
