Proterra Electric Buses Up to 8x More Efficient than their CNG-Powered Cousins

If you operate a public transportation fleet, cost is a critical factor.  Over millions of miles, a difference of a penny or two per mile can add up to serious money.  Fully electric buses tend to cost more to buy but are expected to cost less to operate over their anticipated 12 year useful life.  Is that assumption accurate?

A new study by the National Renewable Energy Lab tabulated data collected by Proterra electric buses operated by Foothill Transit in southern California and other buses in the Foothill fleet that were powered by compressed natural gas.  The results show the Proterra buses were up to 8 time more efficient than their CNG powered cousins.

When operated on the same route, average fuel economy for the CNG buses came to 2.1 miles per diesel gallon equivalent.  By contrast, the Proterra electric buses had an observed MPDGe of 17.35 — more than 8 times higher.  Cost of fuel per mile worked out to be 41 cents for the electric buses and 50 cents for the CNG-powered vehicles.

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