Comparative analysis of the performance, environmental impact, and costs of electric, combustion, and gas buses in an operating context of a mid-sized city of an emerging country

Abstract

With the growing concern about climate change and the need to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the automotive industry has experienced a significant shift towards cleaner and more sustainable transportation options. This article aims to provide an analysis and comparison between Electric Battery Buses (EBBs), Diesel Buses (DBs), and Compressed Natural Gas Buses (CNGBs) in terms of their performance, environmental impact, and investment and operating costs. The case study uses Eclipse SUMO to simulate routes, traffic, consumption, and emissions. Also, to obtain the necessary data for the analysis, road corridors, speed limits, congestion times and levels, and even driving behavior are entered into the software. This evaluation has two parts. First, technical, environmental, and economic indices let us compare the performance of the three types of buses. Subsequently, a sensitivity analysis is performed to establish the economic viability of EBBs and CNGBs compared to DBs. This case study is carried out for Pasto City, Colombia, which has the characteristics of a mid-sized city with around 1,181 km2, 450,000 inhabitants, and mountainous topography; in addition, Colombia has a lot of renewable energy with around 70 % of hydraulic energy. Moreover, we provide valuable information for users, policymakers, and entities in charge of decision-making and management of public transport systems.

Keywords

• Electric battery buses
• Diesel buses
• Compressed natural gas buses
• Performance indices
• Economic evaluation
• Sensitivity analysis