MBTA Bus Fleet Electrification

BandA wrote: ↑Sat May 28, 2022 5:47 pm Fuel usage for carrying the weight of the batteries around, and energy losses in the charging system would make battery buses less energy efficient than Trackless Trolleys. Cost of replacing the batteries is probably about the cost of maintaining the catenary.

That's what I thought, not to mention less weight damages to the asphalt.

scratchyX1 wrote: ↑Sat May 28, 2022 9:59 pm

BandA wrote: ↑Sat May 28, 2022 5:47 pm Fuel usage for carrying the weight of the batteries around, and energy losses in the charging system would make battery buses less energy efficient than Trackless Trolleys. Cost of replacing the batteries is probably about the cost of maintaining the catenary.

That's what I thought, not to mention less weight damages to the asphalt.

Does switching to battery electrics bring operational efficiencies that trolley buses do not offer? Also how many diesel busses did the MBTA retain to cover unplanned outages on the trolley bus lines that would not need to be retained once switched over to battery buses (I am kind of assuming the diesel busses that replaced the trolley busses were the reserves maintained to cover them in the event the trolley busses had to be withdrawn due to an unplanned outage)?

I would think that there is a need for more reserve buses. Recently there have been days times when outside bus companies had to provide extra buses. Including mishaps or planned construction affecting rail lines.

I would also question having few large depots for battery bus recharging compared with many smaller depots. If a power failure affected a large depot then lots of charging stations are out of commission.

Disney Guy wrote: ↑Sun May 29, 2022 8:13 am I would think that there is a need for more reserve buses. Recently there have been days times when outside bus companies had to provide extra buses. Including mishaps or planned construction affecting rail lines.

I would also question having few large depots for battery bus recharging compared with many smaller depots. If a power failure affected a large depot then lots of charging stations are out of commission.

There is so many factors mbata didn't take In account, and giving up distributed power facilities was just one of them.
It means during summer brown outs, when the air quality is bad, they'll need to take diesel buses out to cover those routes.

We don’t really get brownouts or smog here.

The brownouts are coming; all coal plants in MA have been shut down afaik, Seabrook 1 is the only remaining nuke plant in New England. Diesel plants have been decommissioned or are strictly standby. Are there any "biomass" plants? Wind - there are very few turbines in MA. Chinese manufactured solar is booming due to the subsidies, but will produce nothing in a snowstorm. Battery electricity storage facilities face opposition. A gas pipeline was blocked by Massachusetts government. Electric lines to bring more "clean" hydroelectric energy from Quebec was blocked by New Hampshire (or was it Maine).

On the other hand, if you drive the electricity costs high enough, demand will fall...

And it starts:

https://www.masstransitmag.com/bus/vehi ... tches-fire

The photo really does it justice...

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Can you imagine if this happened in the Harvard Square or Silverline (or even Ted Williams) tunnels?

Are lithium buses allowed under the Prudential Center? Hazardous cargo is prohibited...

Definitely looks safer and less of a maintenance issue than overhead wires.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keSWusiSNe4
this sums it up.