“The hardest part of a battery-electric bus turns out to be its infrastructure,” CapMetro President and CEO Dottie Watkins said during a board meeting June 24.
The organization has begun evaluating other viable alternatives, including hybrids of electric batteries and diesel or hydrogen fuel systems.
Sorting out the details
CapMetro officials outlined goals of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, giving the green light for a $255 million purchase of 197 electric powered buses in the fall of 2021.The purchase represents the largest procurement of electric vehicles in U.S. history, according to CapMetro officials.
A delay in the opening of the all-electric MetroRapid lines, a part of Project Connect, revealed the first indication of a hitch in plans for an electric fleet.
As a result of a variety of factors—unexpected challenges using all-electric buses, shipping delays and infrastructure changes—the grand opening of the new rapid lines have been postponed until 2025.
“Supply and demand is not in our favor [right now],” Watkins said.
John Overman, a transportation expert from the Texas Transportation Institute, broke down many of the issues surrounding battery-electric buses for board members June 24:
- The largest producer of electric buses, Proterra, went bankrupt
- There are not many other suppliers
- Supply chain problems have led to long lead times, between 18 and 24 months, to receive an electric-powered bus
- Inflation has increased costs of all types of buses
Watkins explained there is not enough operational charging station infrastructure, adding that the time it takes to charge also puts a bus out of commission.
Part of plans for the MetroRapid lines includes installing charging stations at the ends of each line to keep buses running all day.
“We believe the best thing for us to do for our next round of regularly cycled fleet replacements is to buy hybrid-electric buses,” Watkins said. “A hybrid-electric bus today is a battery-electric bus with one less battery and a little diesel generator to generate electricity on the fly so that you can run it all day.”
Hybrid buses offer the best option to remain working toward lowering emissions while also still providing full services, Watkins said.
What’s next
The organization is also looking into new hydrogen-powered vehicle technology, looking to purchase four hydrogen buses during the 2024 procurement process.
Staff confirmed many cities around the country are all making the same pivot to hydrogen as the electric bus industry experiences shortcomings.
CapMetro officials will now have to weigh the costs of these new solutions, as hydrogen-powered buses are being sold for around $1.7 million per bus, Overman said.
“We are not alone in this; other cities are facing these same challenges,” board member Dianne Bangle said. “I know that the city of Seattle is trying to electrify their entire fleet, and they’ve had a number of issues, the same issues."
One last thing
Last year, the federal government allocated $7 billion to establish regional clean hydrogen hubs nationwide, including one in Houston. As CapMetro evaluates the potential for hydrogen buses in the Capital area, federal funding may be a viable option to support this initiative.
