LOCAL

Upstate buses rolling away from diesel

abe hardesty
Anderson Independent Mail

The wheels of change are rolling in the Upstate's public transportation buses — all in the direction of cleaner air.

Public transportation agencies in Clemson and Anderson have received approvals of grant applications in recent days that will accelerate moves away from diesel engines and toward low-emission alternatives. Greenville officials, meanwhile, are expected to learn the fate of a similar proposal in September.

The Clemson Area Transit (CAT) system has received grant approval from federal and state governments that will enable it to replace as many as 10 aging diesel buses with new electric ones, a move that CAT interim director Keith Moody hopes will springboard Clemson University to become the nation's first all-electric bus university. Three years ago, a similar grant enabled Seneca to become the nation's first city with all-electric public transportation.

In Anderson, a recent federal grant approval will enable Electric City Transit, which last year became the first in South Carolina to replace some of its diesel-powered engines with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles, to continue its march toward cleaner air by adding two more natural-gas buses.

And Greenville's Greenlink system, which transports about 1 million riders annually, has applied for a federal grant that would replace six of its 20 diesel-fueled buses with electric vehicles.

"It's all about improving the air quality and controlling costs, and that's what everyone is trying to do," said Electric City Transit Director Keith Scott, noting that the CNG buses have been virtually problem-free in their first year and have helped overall vehicle performance.

The CNG buses are less expensive to operate and create less pollution than diesel counterparts. They are slightly more expensive to purchase (about $420,000, as compared to $370,000 for a similarly-equipped diesel), but Scott said the first year of use has proven to be worth the cost.

"We haven't had any maintenance issues, and no surprises," Scott said Friday. "We just had our first 36,000-mile inspection, and the only thing we had to do was replace one small fuel line."

The CNG products are also cheaper in initial costs than electric, which cost approximately $1 million per bus three years ago but are about $650,000 per bus today.

Electric City Transit's decision to use natural gas had much to do with the installation of a fueling station by Piedmont Natural Gas, which eliminated the need for charging stations that would have been part of the move to electric.

"With Piedmont Gas buying the fueling station, it was more cost effective for us to do that," said Scott. "All we have to do is drive over at the end of the day and fill up, just like we do with diesel."

In a continually-changing economic landscape, Scott said he would be open to the addition of electric buses if charging options were available in the future.

"The infrastructure has to be there, and right now that's different for every transit system," said Scott, whose agency operates five routes that serve 300,000 riders annually. "Columbia and Sumter have recently gone to propane, which apparently was the most effective system for them."

Thanks to another grant approved recently, the city of Anderson plans to enclose its maintenance facility in a way that would shelter the mechanics and yet provide the ventilation needed to repair natural gas vehicles.

Greenville's move away from diesel was likely accelerated by some late-June tests, said James Keel, assistant director of public transportation for the city of Greenville.

He studied the Proterra Catalyst E2 in action on five of Greenlink's 11 routes, and came away confident that it will be an ideal workhorse in its hometown.

"We thought the bus would work fine in that situation, but it's always nice to see it," Keel said of the test runs.  "We wanted to see how much energy was used on each run, how much it varied by route, and if it would be able to last an entire day."

Keel said the 35-foot bus used about 6 percent of its battery charge on each trip, and the unit could cover Greenlink's longest route (the Mauldin-Simpsonville circuit, which is about 20 miles) without the need for a mid-day recharge.

The successful run prompted the city to apply for a $5 million federal grant, which would be used to add up to six electric buses to the fleet. That would enable Greenlink to retire some of its older (2002) models, and set the stage for more electric purchases in the future — with Greenville-based Proterra as the most likely and most convenient manufacturer.

The cost of the project, which includes six buses and three charging stations, is $5.8 million.

If the grant is awarded, Greenlink could begin its move from a diesel-based system to an electric one within 18 months. Keel said the goal is for the 20-bus fleet is to reduce the diesel fleet by "at least 50 percent" in the next five years and to eventually be diesel-free.

Keel expects to learn of the grant-application fate in September, news that could mean some new electric buses in late 2018. Once ordered, Proterra spokesman Eric Reynolds said the company could produce the Catalyst E2 in about 14 months.

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A Greenlink bus drives under green traffic signals near Greenville Health System on S.C. Highway 185 in Greenville on Thursday. Greenville, Anderson, and Clemson bus systems are moving away from diesel fuel.

Keel said Greenlink also considered the addition of some natural gas-powered buses, but the garage facility prevented that addition.

"Right now the facility has gas heat in the ceiling, because of this, we couldn’t work on CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) vehicles in this area. The building needs proper ventilation and has to meet (different) electrical requirements," Keel said of a move to natural gas. "Once we get a new facility, it might be more feasible."

The shift to an electric fleet will require the construction of at least one, and preferably three, large fast-charging stations. Each cost about $500,000, and are part of the federal grant request. One would be built at the hub in Greenville, and a second would be placed in the Mauldin area, Keel said. The site for the third station has not been determined.

A zero emission Seneca transit leaves Oconee Memorial Hospital in Seneca during a bus route last week. The Greenville-based bus manufacturer Proterra, celebrated the city of Seneca for having the world's first all-electric fleet in February 2015.

 

The Greenlink system accommodates an average of 1 million riders annually, a number that has declined slightly in recent years. it operates on a budget of $6 million. Fares ($1.50/ride or $27 for 20-ride ticket) cover approximately 17 percent of operating costs.

 

CAT service to Sikes Hall on the Clemson University campus and other stops will speed up to 15 minutes or less when school is in session, according to a plan announced by Clemson city officials Thursday.

Proterra builds similar buses for the city of Seneca/Clemson Area Transportation (CAT) system, which, because of a small fleet, was able to convert quickly to an all-electric system quickly. A federal grant enabled Seneca to deploy six Proterra buses in 2014, and their performance prompted interim general manager Keith Moody to pursue 10 electric buses for the 31-bus CAT fleet this year, with he help of a $3.9 million grant.

"Our goal is to be 100 percent all electric, and to be the cleanest fleet in the nation," Moody said Friday.

 

 

U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan (left), South Carolina Third Congressional District, shares a laugh with Stewart Spinks, founder and chairman of the board for Spinx Company, during the 2015 grand opening of the Compressed Natural Gas pumps at the Spinx on S.C. 28 Bypass in Anderson. Greenville, Anderson, and Clemson bus systems are moving away from diesel fuel.

"There has been no downside," Moody said, referring to the 2014 move to electric. "We're saving a lot of money and we're reducing the CO2 levels."

The all-electric Seneca system saved the CAT system $255,824 in fuel in its first two years, an amount that has made Moody's phone number popular among municipalities around the world. 

"We get a lot of questions when we go to transportation conferences," Moody said, "and we've had a lot of representatives from cities around the country visit to see how it's working. People from Paris, France, are looking at the Seneca system right now.

"We've been invited to come to cities in China, Austria and Mexico to show them the program," Moody said. "Usually, when someone comes to look at the system and the numbers, they come back later with the mayor and the city council and say, 'tell them what you told me,'" Moody said.

"We enjoy it because we can help educate others," Moody said. "The good part is, we're not in competition. Helping them helps us in the long run, because the goal is to make everyone's life better."

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