Fred Jandt’s rethinking rail article on the Mass Transit web site (discussed here on Monday) offhandedly mentioned “what Foothill Transit did this week” with buses. That was a reference to the introduction of some of the first all-electric buses in the U.S. A mere 10-minute recharge of the batteries on these “ecoliners” is supposed to be enough to allow them to run for 30 miles.
Foothill Transit’s new electric bus.
All over the country, transit agencies are purchasing hybrid-electric buses, natural-gas-powered buses, and other alternatives to Diesels, which have a well-deserved reputation for being dirty. While transit is popularly believed to be environmentally friendly, the truth is that it is not, and this is especially true for buses, which typically use more energy and produce more pollution (at least more of the kinds of pollution that are of greatest concern today, namely CO2, NOx, and particulates), per passenger mile, than autos and even SUVs.
