Analysis of Sales & Operation of New Energy Buses in Jan.-Nov.2010 Ⅱ

Summarize：www.chinabuses.org:


Operation of Electric City Buses in Various Regions


1.Beijing
14 electric city buses were applied in No.121 bus route in June 2005 and this is the first formally operated electric buses fleet in China, which are equipped with lead acid cells and declared worthless now. The electric buses with lithium batteries ran in 2007 and have been declared worthless now. Disadvantage: short service life of batteries; high scrap rate and hard to handle the centralized recovery of lead acid cells.


At present, 50 electric buses are driving, which developed by Jinghua Bus and Beijing Institute of Technology. Such bus has to return for charging in one single ride and the power is not enough for opening of the air-conditioner. Advantage: comforts, light noise, steadiness and less breakdown.


The local government is speeding up the construction of charging stations and the newly ordered 170 units will be delivered by the end of this year.


2.Shanghai
The constant driving range of dual electric buses (ultracapacitor plus battery) is over 100 kilometers. Batteries lease (500 am). Advantage: energy cost reduces about one third of that of one conventional bus, comparatively low maintenance cost, steadiness and light noise.


Electric buses (ultracapacitor): zero emission, convenient and fast charging, large energy consumption, average speed of 20 to 30 kilometers.


3. Linyi, Shandong Province
Generally, the local government originally plans to launch 100 electric city buses and reduces to 30 units now. The single run is about 160～170kilometers and the bus ran 3～4 trips with full charging. It is hard for Linyi Public Transport Company to undertake the cost because the electric charge is similar to fuel cost. Moreover, the replacement of batteries (service life: 2 or 3 years) and maintenance cost increase the operation cost. Therefore, the company decided to purchase 300 gas city buses instead of electric buses.


4. Hefei, Anhui Province
The constant driving range of electric city bus is about 150 kilometers, about one half of that of the conventional bus. Price: 1.1 million Yuan (battery excluded).


5. Dalian, Liaoning
In September 2009, the constant driving range of one electric bus is 120～150 kilometers,1～2 trips. Currently, the range reduces about one third due to the serious performance degradation of batteries.


6. Xiangfan, Hubei
The constant driving range of one electric bus is more than 100 kilometers on the special route (about 10 kilometers), 6～7 trips each day. The buses are in debugging phase to meet the transport requirement of 280km.


7. Xinxiang, Henan
The constant driving range of one electric bus is more than 100 kilometers, 6 trips (10.5 km for one trip). The unit price of electric bus is over 1 million Yuan while just about 200,000 Yuan for one conventional city bus.


Operation of Electric City Buses in Various Regions


1.Beijing
About 1000 hybrid power vehicles are operated in Beijing and the fuel-saving ratio of the hybrid power city bus is over 15% compared with the diesel bus (manual shift). More hybrid power city buses will be purchased there because of the local condition and demand such as straight routes, automatic shift, and government subsidy and environment protection.


Disadvantages: the domestic power system technology is required to be improved; the cost of the domestic hybrid power system is low but the effect is not so good.


2.Guangzhou
The average fuel consumption of hybrid power bus (37 liters with air-conditioner open) reduces about 21% than the diesel bus. The first group of hybrid power buses has been operated for two years till now and the batteries yet not replaced. It is predicted that it takes about four years to get cost-recovering.


3.Hangzhou
In September 2008, the first 45 hybrid power city buses ran there have been over 200 hybrid power city buses (300 new energy buses) currently. The proportion of hybrid power city buses reaches 10% when Hangzhou Public Transport Company purchased 195 units. The fuel-saving ratio is 10～20% and mostly reaches 12～13%.


Disadvantages: frequent breakdown, bad gradeability and high power consumption due to air-conditioner in the early phase and better improvements now. The unit price is about 900,000 Yuan.


4.Jinan
Failure rate of hybrid power bus similar to conventional bus; basically no problems of power system.  The cost of hybrid power city bus is about 1.2 million Yuan while 400,000 Yuan for diesel city buses (manual shift) in Jinan. Possibly more hybrid power buses will be purchase due to energy-saving and emission-reducing. Batteries have been used for one year and the service life is 3 years, according to the manufactures.


5.Shenzhen
In June 2009, the new energy city bus project has been started and 47 units were applied. It is predicted that there will be 188 units in 2010 and 70 ones at present. The fuel consumption is 40 liters per one hundred kilometers, less about 20% than the conventional one.


6.Zhuzhou, Hunan
Compared with the conventional city buses, the fuel-saving ratio of hybrid power buses can come to 15～18% and about 20000 liters are saved for one bus each year. The engine power is improved through the communication; actually the designed power output is low. The cost is about 700,000 Yuan for one hybrid power bus (250,000 Yuan from national subsidy and 80,000 Yuan from provincial government).


7.Shanghai
350 Sunwin hybrid power city buses (300hp, automatic transmission) are operated before the World Expo. The fuel-saving ratio is 11%-28%. There are 100 gas-electric hybrid power buses till now. The unit price is 919,000 Yuan.


8.Chongqing
On 20 July 2010, 30 gas-electric hybrid power buses (12-meter, over 100 passengers) were formally operated. It is revealed that the fuel-saving ratio is about 20% and 600 cubes natural gas can be saved compared with the CNG city bus each month, referring to more than 2000 Yuan.


The Required Improvements for New Energy Buses


It has made great progress for China new energy buses in recent years, however, there still exists some problems such as the technology development, reliability, durability and high cost of products, incomplete support facilities that restricts the development. Based on the independent innovation, we should further strengthen international cooperation and improve technologies of electric vehicles. Therefore, some improves we should make in the future:


1.It should be regarded as the indicators that motor power density, battery capacity, reliability and intellectualization. The key technologies should be emphasized such as safety, reliability, uniformity, durability and low cost, meanwhile, the city buses with high comforts and reliability should be developed and produced for market demand.


2.More efforts on scientific and technological innovation of support facilities


3.Speeding-up of the research of the technical standard


4.Deepening demonstration and promotion; Seeking business development mode


5.Support on innovation alliance of industrial technology


6.Improvements on public service platform and talents cultivation


7.Deepening international technology communication and cooperation; promoting the internalization of new energy buses.