% They'll need to factor in a quick charger with the bus cost %
http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2016-02-08/samtrans-inches-toward-going-electric-cap-and-trade-funds-sought-to-pilot-new-bus-program/1776425158101.html SamTrans inches toward going electric: Cap and trade funds sought to pilot new bus program February 08, 2016 Samantha Weigel San Mateo County transit officials are seeking state funds set aside for greenhouse gas emission reduction efforts as they slowly build momentum toward an electric bus pilot program. The SamTrans Board of Directors met Wednesday and approved applying for nearly $1 million in cap-and-trade funds — the first money that would be set aside for the agency to embark on testing all-electric buses in San Mateo County. Yet as it will take time to accumulate enough funds to pilot a new program in this evolving industry, SamTrans has also secured more than $25 million in state and federal funds to purchase 50 new diesel buses. Jeff Gee, a Redwood City councilman who sits on the SamTrans board, said it was important to ensure the county gets its share of cap and trade funds by applying for the grant — the amount of which is set by the state. “Hopefully with next year’s allocation, we can start to get enough money to at least do a pilot program,” Gee said. “The board is very interested in a pilot program using electric buses, it’s just a matter of getting the funding to do that. So this grant helps, but we can’t do it with the grant by itself.” Unsure of exactly how much is needed to begin a pilot program, electric buses alone currently cost between $1 million and $1.3 million a piece, according to Gee and SamTrans spokeswoman Tasha Bartholomew. Gee noted there’s much to consider in crafting a viable program such as comparing the cost of a battery with how long it can hold a charge, choosing an appropriate route and purchasing charging infrastructure. Yet as EV technology continues to advance, Gee said hopefully it will become more affordable. “It’s a constant evolution of technology and the focus is on the batteries,” Gee said. “We’re hopeful maybe by year two or three (of the grant cycles), the battery technology will have improved so much that the cost of the buses will come down.” Currently, SamTrans spends about $2 million a year on diesel fuel for its buses that provide about 1 million rides per month. It already began investing in alternatives by replacing some of its aging fleet with 25 diesel-electric hybrid buses starting in 2013. “SamTrans is committed to finding sustainable transit solutions and, over the years, the agency has worked aggressively to reduce emissions and look at new technologies,” Bartholomew said in an email. “We are still keeping an eye on the industry and if we are able to transition our entire bus fleet to zero emissions someday, it’s going to take time and a lot of funding because electric buses are very expensive to operate.” As cities throughout the county finalize their climate action plans, it’s become clear that fumes from vehicles is the number one contributor to the area’s greenhouse gas emissions. Even though it may take time, SamTrans and other transit agencies may soon face new laws requiring them to make the investment. Now, Gee said they’re hoping to get ahead of the legislative curve. “There’s two big issues. One, climate change; and if we can go to a carbon free bus or a low carbon (vehicle) moving people around, that’s better for the environment. Two, there’s the discussion at the federal and state level to make transit districts go to electric buses. So rather than be told, why not go and invest in it,” Gee said. “Why wait? Especially here in California and Silicon Valley with the innovation here … And, it’s the right thing to do.” [© 2016 San Mateo Daily Journal] ... http://www.jeffgee.org/contact-jeff.html Jeff Gee, councilman https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-gee-b4780567 ... http://www.samtrans.com/schedulesandmaps/maps.html SamTrans bus route maps For EVLN EV-newswire posts use: http://evdl.org/evln/ {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/SamTrans-seeks-Electric-bus-to-begin-a-pilot-program-tp4680450.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org Read EVAngel's EV News at http://evdl.org/evln/ Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
