Diesel Vs Electric – What’s Best for Your Bus Fleet?

There can be few fleet managers that haven’t had their head turned by the thought of the cost-savings and green benefits of an electric bus fleet.  However, where fleet maintenance is concerned, the benefits of having an electric fleet are not so apparent and it is in fact a hindrance to keeping a fleet fully operational.

Given that the lifetime of a bus is about 12 years, and that batteries can degrade over time with constant charging and discharging, the lifetime performance of electric bus batteries is uncertain.

Ken Worsdale, Managing Director of Foxwood Diesel explained: “Battery-powered electric buses are relatively new technology compared to the diesel engines that have been around for 90 years. This means that there is a limited pool of electromechanics able to respond immediately to the needs of an electric fleet and keep it running.

“At Foxwood Diesel, we have more than 30 years of experience in diesel engines as well as the tools, equipment and parts needed immediately available, meaning that we can get a fleet back up and running quickly.”

Although electric buses cost more than their diesel counterparts, it is argued that this initial additional outlay is recovered over seven years through fuel savings. However, the capital budget tends to be separate from the operating budget, therefore, the additional expense of electric bus recharging facilities, electric service upgrades, and a host of other tools needed to maintain electric buses may not have been factored into this payback.

In cities, the environmental impact of diesel vs electric is a key driver to converting a bus fleet. Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, unveiled the world’s first double-decker hydrogen bus late last year, saying that he was committed to phasing out purchasing new pure ‘dirty’ diesel buses from the capital.

Mr Kahn revealed that no more pure diesel double-deck buses will be added to the capital’s fleet from 2018 and that all new single-decks for central London will be zero-emission. London is one of the 26 cities which have signed the C40 Clean Bus Declaration in June 2015, committed to moving their fleets to zero-emission technology.

However, according to a life cycle assessment (LCA) in 2014*, which compared diesel-powered mass transit buses to battery-powered electric buses, diesel buses have smaller environmental impacts than electric buses in eight of the 11 impact categories studied. Diesel buses fare better in important environmental categories such as global warming potential (i.e., carbon footprint), carcinogens released into the environment and ozone depletion potential. The battery-powered bus fared better only with land acidification, aquatic eutrophication (depletion of oxygen in a water body), and the release of non-carcinogens such as mercury, cyanide, and nitrates.

As well as bus and coach engine repair or replacement, Foxwood Diesel also stocks a full range of new and reconditioned Cummins parts available for overnight delivery.

For advice or further details on Foxwood Diesel’s services, please take a look around here.

* 1. Cooney, G., Hawkins T.R. and Marriott J. (2013) Life Cycle Assessment of Diesel and Electric Public Transportation Buses. Journal of Industrial Ecology.