The bus ran for a period of two months, from August 25 to October 25, covering a distance of 1,481 miles on the M20, M42, M10, M98, M60 and Bx27 routes.
A zero-emissions electric bus from BYD has successfully concluded a pilot test in the streets of New York.
BYD and the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced that they tested a 40-foot BYD battery-electric bus by running it through different routes throughout Manhattan for a period of two months.
“The general purpose of the program was to evaluate how an electric bus could perform in New York City’s heavy traffic, whether the electric bus can meet the twin challenges of operating in the stop-and-go traffic of Manhattan while maintaining high levels of passenger comfort and operational performance, “said MTA’s spokesman Kevin Ortiz.
The bus ran for a period of two months, from August 25 to October 25, covering a distance of 1,481 miles on the M20, M42, M10, M98, M60 and Bx27 routes.
The recently released study findings showed that the BYD bus had an average battery consumption of 12.4 miles per percent second of charge or over 140 miles per charge in heavy traffic.
After the two month test, the buses average battery duration was found to be 0.3 hours per percent SOC, or 30 hours of operation per full charge. Other batteries require recharging every 2 – 3 hours.
The study results noted that the energy storage capacity shown by the BYD bus work to its advantage in a busy city like New York where bus routes and speeds travelled are short in distance but long in duration. In addition, in contrast to diesel bus technology, the BYD electric buses are far more efficient because diesel engines are still idling when stopped or in heavy traffic.
The expected operating-cost-per mile of the bus is $0.20 to $0.30, compared to $1.30 per mile on an equivalent diesel or natural-gas powered bus.
The bus provided for the test was supplied by BYD Motors in Southern California, a subsidiary of China’s battery and electrical vehicle company BYD. The bus model has a range of 140-155 miles average between charges and can be fully charged in only 3 to 4 hours. – EcoSeed Staff
