Laketran may be bringing a fresh new energy to public transportation in Lake County. Advances in the technology of battery-powered electric buses, and its operating and maintenance costs compared to diesel fuel, is making electric buses a more attractive option to power Laketran’s 16 heavy-duty, low-floor buses that serve the local in-county fixed routes, Routes 1-6. Laketran has spent time evaluating options between gasoline, diesel fuel, propane and compressed natural gas.
While Laketran’s first order of propane-fueled Dial-a-Ride buses will be arriving this spring, there is not a propane engine powerful enough to operate the 35-foot transit buses.
The staff eliminated compressed natural gas because of cost and maintenance of a fueling station. Diesel, while still the leading fuel source in the industry, has the highest and most volatile fuel cost and emission standards on diesel engines continue to tighten adding increased maintenance costs.
Battery-powered electric buses offer a zero-emission, quiet operation and better acceleration compared to traditional buses. They also eliminate infrastructure needed for an above street, constant grid connection like traditional electric trolleybuses and allow routes to be modified without infrastructure changes.
“Don’t picture traditional electronic trolleybuses that are powered by wires amid the streets,” explained Ben Capelle, deputy general manager for Laketran. “The electric buses will be charged in under five minutes at transfer locations by fast chargers throughout the day.”
Last month, California-based manufacturer Proterra completed a route analysis for Laketran including suitability study, installation and long-term maintenance costs.
Upfront costs would require installing three charging stations; however, these costs would occur with any new fueling option and the fuel saving for electric buses recovers the capital expense quicker than other type of fuel.
“The reduction in maintenance costs for electric buses is what makes them so attractive”, said Capelle. “They can easily yield a 40 percent annual savings and that’s over half a million dollars a year.”
Another benefit of purchasing alternative fuel vehicles, Laketran will be able to capitalize on federal and state funding opportunities used to incent transit systems that use alternative fuels to help the community attain air quality standards.
“With electric buses we’ll reduce our fuel cost from our operating budget that is funded with local sales tax and replace that cost with capital expense for batteries that can be funded through various federal alternative fuel grants for low or no tail pipe emissions,” explained Capelle. “And hopefully, we can shift that savings into putting more service on the road.”
“Starting with propane and moving into electric operated buses will also help with long-term planning because both fueling sources are more stable compared to diesel,” continued Capelle.
“Laketran is always looking for more efficient ways to operate and reduce cost. It’s easy to find the savings here,” shared Brian Falkowski, board president of Laketran, “We are not only going to save significant operating expenses over the life of these vehicles, but we are also improving the air quality for our residents here in Lake County. I think this technology is worth exploring for our future.”
Laketran’s current local route bus fleet will be beyond it’s useful life in 2021, according to the Federal Transportation Administration who fund 80 percent of heavy duty vehicles through Bus and Bus Facilities federal funding program.
Battery-operated electric buses are a growing trend in bus replacement nationwide and Laketran would be the first transit system in Ohio to have a 100 percent of their local route fleet to attain zero-emissions operating them.
These buses connect to an overhead docking station to recharge their batteries while in service. The next step in exploring the feasibility of electronic buses will be discussions with area property owners about the placement of charging stations at key Laketran transfer centers.
The heavy-duty, low-floor buses will remain similar size and capacity to today’s diesel fleet and serve the 315,000 annual riders on local routes 1-6.
